


Librauy of Che Theological Seminary 


PRINCETON *- NEW JERSEY 
C= 


PRESENTED BY 


Delevan L,. Pierson 


BV 3427 .F46 D38 1925 
Davis, George T. B. 1873- 
China's Christian army 








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China's Christian Army 


A Story of Marshal Feng and Hts Soldiers 


By 
GEORGE T. B. DAVIS 


INTRODUCTION BY 
CHARLES GALLAUDET TRUMBULL, D.D. 
Editor of the Sunday School Times 


Copyright MCMXXV 
by 
The Christian Alliance Publishing Company 


Printed in the United States of America 


The Christian Alliance Publishing Company 
260 West 44th Street, New York, N. Y. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 
Imtroductioniis caer cc aa: 3 
(By Charles G. Trumbuli) 

I. Inthe Camp at Nanyuan.. ‘c 
II. When the Fire Fell ...... 22 
III. When the Wind Blew .... 36 

IV. How MHeaven’s Artillery 
HH eInedinoay wate ertcals otda © 51 

V. Why Peking Was Cap- 
CUT OCU TOR pant acetates’ s 64 

VI. How Prayer Stopped the 
Battlonatmimers ae tele 81 

VII. Paul Wang: Policeman- 
Prisoner-Preacher ..... 93 
VIII. Harbingers of Revival ... 106 

IX. The Taiping Officer’s Tes- 
tan ori bye Mee yes 118 
X. God’s Word for China... 128 


INTRODUCTION 


T WAS an extraordinary privilege 
I that Mr. Davis had in being so close 
to Marshal Feng, and his officers 
and his men, for such an extended time 
in China. There has been no military 
man in our generation, perhaps none for 
centuries, who seems to rank with Feng, 
in God’s plans, as a soul-winning Chris- 
tian. 

In the summer of 1920 I had the privi- 
lege of visiting the army headquarters 
of the General (he had not then been 
made Marshal), with Dr. Jonathan Go- 
forth, and I cannot forget the impres- 
sive and reassuring Christian person- 
ality of this Chinese commander. There 
was no affectation, no desire to impress 
a visitor with the ‘‘Christianity’’ of his 
camp. But there were abundant evi- 
dences of the presence and work of the 
Holy Spirit and the enthronement of 

3 


4 INTRODUCTION 


Christ as Lord. One hundred and fifty 
of his commissioned officers were called 
together, on that week-day afternoon of 
a sweltering August day, for an address 
from the visitor on the life of victory in 
Christ. Feng presided at the meeting, 
and the officers in attendance took notes 
on the Bible teaching as though they 
had been a class in an American Bible 
institute. 

One thing that always impresses those 
who study Feng’s army is the applica- 
tion of present-day, practical righteous- 
ness in the lives and activities and char- 
acters of men and officers, as well as 
their clear understanding of eternal is- 
sues and salvation through Christ as 
Saviour. 

And perhaps no member of the body 
of Christ on earth today is in a more 
perilous position than Marshal Feng. 
In the center of a maelstrom of un- 
principled politics, human and devilish 
machinations, mercenary and ambitious 


INTRODUCTION 5 


self-seeking, in a heathen land where 
Satan’s stronghold is, it is not to be 
wondered at if this Christian general 
should have made some slips, while in the 
main honestly seeking to do God’s will. 
It is to be wondered at—a marvel of 
God’s grace—that he has been kept as 
he has, walking as a humble, true- 
hearted child of God, and bringing tem- 
poral and eternal blessing into the lives 
of thousands of his fellow countrymen. 

May the reading of this book place 
Marshal Feng permanently upon the 
hearts and the prayer lists of multitudes 
of Christian intercessors, the world 
around, until the Lord returns. Satan 
has done and will continue to do every- 
thing in his power to overthrow Feng, 
and to bring his own and his army’s 
Christian testimony into disrepute. Let 
us set ourselves against this Satanic 
desire, remembering that, in Feng’s be- 
half, ‘‘we wrestle not against flesh and 
blood, but against principalities, against 


6 INTRODUCTION 


powers, against the rulers of the dark- 
ness of this world, against spiritual 
wickedness in high places,’’ and that 
‘‘the weapons of our warfare are not 
carnal, but mighty through God to the 
pulling down of strongholds.’’ 

CHARLES GALLAUDET TRUMBULL. 


CHAPTER I 
IN THE CAMP AT NANYUAN 


IRST in America, and later in Aus- 
tralia and New Zealand, I had 
heard reports of Gen. Feng Yu 
Hsiang and his Christian Army. Re- 
cently I travelled nearly half way round 
the world to work in the army, and to 
give the men the Word of God. And 
now, after four months in Peking; after 
studying the army at first hand, from 
the private soldier to the commanding 
officer; I can say—like one who long ago 
travelled far to see a famous man and 
his work in another Hastern land,— 
‘<The half was not told me.’’ 
The more I study the army the more 
I am amazed by the sheer marvel of it. 
Think of it! A dozen years ago a man 
was converted in Peking. He was an 
army officer, a major in command of 


500 men. He was not allowed to openly 
7 


8 Curina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


preach Christ to his men in the military 
quarters. He had to send them out of 
the barracks to the churches in Peking 
to hear the gospel proclaimed. Today 
that convert of a dozen years ago is the 
Defender of Peking; and his army is 
not only the most inspiring native force 
for righteousness, but it is the strongest 
military influence for stability, in dis- 
traught China. It is the most remarka- 
ble army morally and spiritually—with 
the possible exception of Cromwell’s 
Ironsides—in modern times. ‘‘This is 
the Lord’s doing: it is marvelous in our 
eyes.’’ 

After an American military man had 
spent two weeks studying the Christian 
Army he said: ‘‘They are the best sol- 
diers in China.’’ But the army is not 
merely a military organization. It is a 
big Christian school for the common 
people, where the young men—for it is 
an army of young men—are given phys- 
ical, industrial, mental, spiritual, and 





Marshal Feng Yu-Hsiang. 








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In tHe Camp at NANYUAN 9 


military training. The soldier-students, 
as they may be termed, enlist for at least 
three years, which is the equivalent in 
time of a four years college course for 
they have no vacation period. 

There is a strict schedule of work and 
study from the rising bugle in the morn- 
ing, to ‘‘lights out’’ at night. In the 
summer the men rise at 4 A.M. The 
first order of the day after dressing, is 
a bit of spiritual drill. They assemble 
by companies in the open air in the quiet 
of the early dawn. The captain leads in 
the singing of a gospel hymn. Then all 
heads are reverently bowed while an 
officer or corporal or private soldier 
prays earnestly for God’s blessing upon 
the army and the duties of the day. 

Physical drill follows spiritual. The 
men go out for a twenty minutes run, 
and clamber up and down curious little 
mounds with steps, to make them fit for 
mountain climbing, and for the day’s 
program of study and work. Then 


10 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


comes military drill, followed by various 
forms of physical training, industrial 
work, study of Chinese, moral lectures, 
a noon prayer meeting, and so on. From 
morning until night there is a varied 
program of study and work and worship. 

The army is up-to-the-minute in phys- 
ical fitness, as might be expected where 
there is an absence of immorality, wine 
drinking, and cigarette smoking. The 
men are alert, athletic, cleared-eyed, 
strong-muscled. Sir James Startin, a 
retired Admiral of the British Navy, 
who recently visited Peking, was much 
impressed with the fine physique of the 
men. He was also delighted with the 
feats they performed on the horizontal 
bars. The other day I saw a soldier do 
the full swing nearly a dozen times in 
succession just in their ordinary prac- 
tice. 

A striking feature of the army-school 
is its industrial branch. This was 
started by Gen. Feng in order that many 


In THE Camp AT NANYUAN 11 


of the men might learn a trade while in 
the army, and have a means of support 
on their return home. As you pass 
through one room after another you see 
the young men busily engaged in making 
shoes and clothes, knitting stockings, 
weaving rugs, boiling soap, and making 
chairs and other articles of furniture. 
When one set of men have learned a 
trade, another lot takes their place. 

But the most interesting and striking 
phase of the army life is its spiritual 
side. In my early visits to the camp the 
thing that most impressed me was the 
sight of a hundred or more men stand- 
ing outside a mess-room before a meal 
singing a gospel hymn. Then all heads 
were bowed while someone led in 
prayer; not a few formal phrases, but 
an earnest petition, often of some length. 
And imagine my surprise when calmly 
informed that this was the custom 
throughout the entire army before each 
of the two meals of the day! 


12 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Later I witnessed a still more striking 
scene that occurs at noon each day. At 
twelve o’clock a gun is fired. At ten 
minutes past twelve the men gather by 
companies outside their various quar- 
ters for half an hour of Bible reading 
and prayer. Sometimes the meeting is 
conducted by the captain; sometimes 
the companies are divided into smaller 
groups in charge of a corporal. First a 
hymn is sung; then a chapter in the 
New Testament is read verse about, 
often with brief explanations, followed 
by a number of earnest petitions from 
the men as well as the officers. It is 
really Family Worship for the day. Just 
as a father gathers his family about him 
for Bible reading and prayer; so the 
captains and corporals of the army con- 
duct the service for those committed to 
their care. 

And it is a singing, as well as a Bible- 
reading and praying, army. How the 
men love to sing the old hymns that are 


IN THE Camp at NANYUAN 13 


favorites at home! They sing the first 
thing in the morning; they sing at noon; 
they sing the last thing at night. They 
sing at meetings, they sing before meals, 
they sing as they march. The favorite 
hymn of the army is ‘‘Onward Christian 
Soldiers.’’ Some others that the troops 
especially enjoy are: ‘‘Stand Up, Stand 
Up for Jesus! Ye Soldiers of the 
Cross;’’ ‘‘Room for Thee;’’ ‘‘ All Peo- 
ple That on Earth Do Dwell,’’ and ‘‘O 
Happy Day.’’ 

It was a joy and privilege to be called 
to labor among such a unique and inter- 
esting body of men, and to give them the 
Word of God. Our party—consisting of 
my mother, then 87 years of age, and 
her companion Miss Beebe, and the 
writer—set out from Auckland, New 
Zealand, on the long journey of nearly 
10,000 miles to Peking. Before leaving 
Australia more than 20,000 letters were 
sent out to Christian people, in those 
lands and throughout the world, asking 


14 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


them to pray earnestly for revival in 
China, for Gen. Feng and his army, and 
for ourselves; and to send for prayer 
cards to give to others, to enlist them to 
do the same. 

The response to the appeal for prayer 
was most encouraging. As we jour- 
neyed to China, and as we have been 
working in the army we have been borne 
up by a great and ever increasing vol- 
ume of prayer. It is little wonder that 
the Lord has given blessed and glorious 
victory! He is still the prayer-answer- 
ing God. ‘‘Blessed be Thy glorious 
Name, which is exalted above all bless- 
ing and praise.’? We have been in 
Peking a little more than four months. 
Practically all of an edition of 30,000 
neat cloth-bound Testaments in Chinese 
have been distributed to those agreeing 
to read and carry them; and we have 
had to send an urgent order to the Bible 
Society in Shanghai for a further sup- 
ply. 


‘AULIB S,SUdaq [BYSiePY JO Uo PUBSNOY} INOJ 0} sjUeTIesaf, SULJUISeIg 








In THE Camp AT NANYUAN 15 


When we arrived in Peking Dr. Jona- 
than Goforth, who invited us to China, 
was not in the city. Dr. George L. 
Davis, of the American Methodist Mis- 
sion, kindly introduced me to Gen. Feng. 
This was only the beginning of the kind 
cooperation of the members of the Meth- 
odist Mission, and of others, mission- 
aries and Chinese alike, in our campaign 
for the distribution of the Word of God. 

Gen. Feng, who is studying English, 
greeted me in my native tongue saying, 
‘“‘T am very glad to see you.’’ Pres- 
ently he pulled out a neat pocket Testa- 
ment of the same size and shape as we 
were planning to present to the army. 
Gen. Feng kindly suggested another in- 
terview for the following day, and later 
invited my mother and Miss Beebe and 
myself to have lunch with himself and 
Dr. Goforth at the military headquar- 
ters at Nanyuan, a few miles outside of 
Peking. 

As we commenced work in the army it 


16 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


was a great joy to find that the Chief 
Chaplain, Pastor Hsu, had joined the 
Pocket Testament League fourteen 
years ago when we visited Peking. We 
also learned that it was Pastor Hsu who 
played no small part twelve years ago 
in leading Gen. Feng to a knowledge of 
Christ. Pastor Hsu rendered splendid 
assistance from the very beginning of 
the work in the army. He not only ar- 
ranged the meetings, but kindly inter- 
preted for me at most of the services for 
the soldiers. 

The work in the army began with the 
officers, then extended to the men. I 
found that majors and colonels seemed 
just as ready and willing to enlist in the 
Pocket Testament League as private 
soldiers. My first big meeting with the 
troops was with 800 men of a calvary 
regiment. It was conducted by the colo- 
nel who led it with as much fervor as a 
Methodist local preacher or a Salvation 
Army officer. At the conclusion of his 


In THe Camp at NANYUAN Wj 


prayer a sound arose that I had never 
before heard from a company of sol- 
diers. A chorus of ‘‘Amens’’ came from 
all over the audience in a perfectly natu- 
ral manner, without a touch of a parad- 
ing spirit. When we asked all who 
would like to enlist in the League and 
receive a Testament to raise their hands, 
all their right hands, as far as I could 
see were uplifted; while many professed 
faith in Christ as they agreed to read 
and carry the Word of God. 

Thus we went through the army 
preaching the gospel; urging the men to 
saturate their souls with the Word of 
God, both now and when they returned 
to their homes; and seeing large num- 
bers declare their acceptance of Christ. 

Never will I forget one memorable 
service when we addressed nearly 4,000 
men in the open air. It was a beautiful 
day. We stood on a mud platform five 
or six feet high with the men standing 


on three sides of us. The interpreter 
2 


18 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


that day was Rev. Martin Ekvall, who | 
had kindly come to Peking to help in the 
work, and who providentially was the 
one that first told me of the army three 
years ago in New York City. From the 
opening hymn by the soldier-choir until 
the last Testament had been distributed, 
everything went forward harmoniously. 
How eagerly the men listened, how pa- 
tiently they stood, and how easy it was 
to speak to them! God’s Spirit was 
moving upon the hearts of the men in 
answer to the prayers of many. 

When the invitation to accept Christ 
was given so many hands were upraised 
that I thought surely there had been a 
mistake. I asked that the invitation be 
repeated and made clear. This was 
done, and again to my joy and delight 
literally hundreds of hands were up- 
lifted from all parts of the great audi- 
ence. It was a wonderful scene, and was 
followed by a soul-stirring sound as they 
repeated in concert after Chaplain 


In THE Camp aT NANYUAN 19 


Chang their declaration of faith in 
Christ. Later Gen. Chang Chih-Chang, 
the Commander of the brigade, who is a 
fiery evangelist as well as a brave sol- 
dier, gave the men an earnest exhorta- 
tion, and prayed fervently for those who 
had just made the great decision. 

At the close of the service came the 
distribution of the Testaments. It was 
carried out in a peculiarly beautiful and 
impressive manner. The three regi- 
ments that had participated in the meet- 
ing were marched a little distance away 
from the platform to the parade ground. 
The Testaments for the troops were 
piled high on tables near the platform, 
with a major standing at each table 
ready to present them to the men. Then 
company by company the men marched 
from the parade grounds singing gospel 
hymns as they came. They marched 
four abreast, and four majors stood at 
the tables giving them the little Books 
as they passed by. 


20 CuHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


It was a never-to-be forgotten scene, 
but was followed by one if anything even 
more impressive. After all had received 
their copies of God’s Word, they were 
once more assembled round the plat- 
form. Gen. Chang gave a stirring talk 
confirming all that had been said and 
done during the service, and prayed fer- 
vently for the men that were just be- 
ginning the Christian life. Finally the 
men were asked to hold the Testaments 
they had just received high above their 
heads, with the Book open at the pas- 
sage for every Bible student: ‘‘Study 
to show thyself approved unto God, a 
workman that needeth not to be 
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of 
Truth.’’ Second Timothy 2: 15. 

The scene that followed was worth 
going far to witness: that sea of open 
Testaments; every right hand of every 
soldier of that great audience of nearly 
4,000 Chinese young men ‘‘holding fast 
the faithful Word.’’ It was a little har- 


In THe Camp at NANYUAN Ah 


binger of the glad day when the Word of 
God shall be in the hands and hearts of 
millions of men and women, and boys 
and girls in China; and of that glorious 
era when ‘‘the earth shall be filled with 
the knowledge of the glory of the Lord 
as the waters cover the sea.’’ 

After the memorable service we went 
to Gen. Chang’s headquarters. That 
afternoon he told us the story of his con- 
version; and of how in a miraculous 
manner, parallelling the Old Testament 
miracles, the Lord had given glorious 
victory to their troops in the recent civil 
war in China. 


CHAPTER II 
WHEN THE FIRE FELL 


R. JONATHAN GOFORTH once 
D said to Gen. Feng, ‘‘ You are be- 
coming known all over the Chris- 

tian world.’’ 

‘‘That’s my danger,’’ the General re- 
plied. ‘‘The Devil will make me a spe- 
cial target for his attacks.”’ 

““Yes,’’? Dr. Goforth answered, ‘‘ But 
there are thousands and tens of thou- 
sands who will become intercessors to 
pray for you.’’ 

‘‘That’s my salvation,’’ he answered. 

No missionary has been more used of 
God in the salvation and growth in grace 
of the men in Gen. Feng’s Christian 
Army, than Dr. Jonathan Goforth, who 
may well be called the ‘‘Charles G. Fin- 
ney’’ of China. 

Thirty-six years ago, Dr. Goforth set 


out from Canada to preach the gospel in 
22 





Dr. Jonathan Goforth, the well-known 
missionary-evangelist. 





WHEN THE Fire FELL 23 


China. Before leaving his native land 
his soul had been saturated with the 
Word of God. As soon as he had 
learned the language and began to 
preach, unusual success crowned his ef- 
forts. But even this did not satisfy him. 
He longed to see yet greater results. 
One day as he read his Bible his soul 
was deeply stirred by that phrase in 
John 14:12, ‘‘He that believeth on me, 
the works that I do shall he do also; and 
greater works than these shall he do.’’ 
It puzzled him. Could it really be true? 
He began to search for light. In ad- 
dition to carrying on his mission work, 
and seeing the Holy Spirit present in 
power in his meetings, he spent much 
time reading devotional and biographi- 
cal books. He was deeply moved also by 
the Welsh revival. But it was finally a 
little booklet compiled by Dr. Sherwood 
Eddy from the revival lectures and 
autobiography of Charles G. Finney that 
kindled the flame in his soul to go out 


24. Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


wherever the Lord might lead to other 
parts of China to hold revival meetings. 
Later he went to Korea when the land 
was so mightily moved by the revival of 
1907; and since then he has been giving 
part of his time each year, and for five 
years his entire time, to going through- 
out the length and breadth of China, 
seeing multitudes saved, and multitudes 
built up in the faith. 

For seven years Dr. Goforth has been 
in touch with Gen. Feng and his army. 
While the army was at Nanyuan, near 
Peking, Dr. Goforth lived near the camp, 
and worked among the officers and men 
day and night for seven months. Often 
he would be studying the Bible with Gen. 
Feng at 5: 30 A. M.; teaching a big class 
of officers a little later; and during the 
rest of the day holding meetings and 
doing personal work with the men. It 
was at this period of his work in the 
Christian Army that Dr. Goforth in- 


WHEN THE Fire FELL 25 


vited the writer to go to China to labor 
among the troops. 

After reaching Peking, Gen. Feng 
very kindly called upon my Mother to 
express his appreciation of such an 
elderly person visiting China. Later we 
received an invitation to have a meal 
with Gen. Feng and Dr. Goforth at 
Nanyuan Camp, the headquarters of the 
army. The camp is about eight miles 
from Peking. As we neared the camp 
we saw 30,000 men mustered on the drill 
ground for an early morning review. 

Following a delightful luncheon with 
the General, Dr. Goforth and our party 
returned to Peking. As we sat in my 
mother’s room in the home of a mission- 
ary in Peking, I asked Dr. Goforth to 
tell the story of how he was led to begin 
work in Gen. Feng’s Army; and of some 
of the things he had seen and heard 
during his visits. 

Dr. Goforth began slowly, but ere long 
his face was shining and his eyes were 


26 Cuina’s CHRIsTIAN ARMY 


flashing, as he told of the marvellous 
manner in which God has manifested 
His power in connection with this body 
of consecrated men. First he told of 
revival scenes; then of modern mira- 
cles; and finally he closed with a fervent 
appeal for prayer for the army. 

Dr. Goforth said: ‘‘It was about 
August, 1918, that some missionaries 
from Chang-Te-fu gave my wife and 
myself an invitation from Gen. Feng to 
go down and work in the army. It 
seemed as though many things conspired 
to prevent our going; and in addition I 
sorely needed rest for coming meetings 
in Peking and South China. But we felt 
the call was from the Lord, and my wife 
and I went down for a ten days’ mis- 
sion. 

‘‘At that time, there were about 9,000 
men in the Army. Gen. Feng was a 
Brigadier-General, and four of the five 
men who are now generals under him 
were colonels. A Work of Grace in the 


WHEN THE Fire FELL 27 


Army had already begun through the 
efforts of Gen. Feng and the local mis- 
sionaries. The audiences were com- 
posed almost exclusively of officers— 
commissioned and non-commissioned— 
with a few selected men. 

‘“‘The meetings were held in the fore- 
noon and afternoon. But preceding the 
general meetings we always had a 
prayer meeting, which was attended 
only by Gen. Feng and the colonels and 
majors. One morning my subject was 
Matt. 18:19: ‘‘If two of you shall agree 
on earth as touching anything that they 
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my 
Father which is in heaven.”’ I asked if 
anyone present had any special requests. 

‘‘Gen. Feng said: ‘My daily desire 
before God is that all my 9,000 men shall 
be converted to Jesus Christ.’’ 

‘*Col. Lu (now Gen. Lu) said: ‘My 
request daily before God is that we shall 
live so much like Christ that we shall 
move the whole of China.’ 


28 Curna’s CuristiAN ARMY 


‘‘Next Col. Chang said: ‘My daily 
prayer is that God will use us in this 
brigade to convert all the other soldiers 
in China.’ 

‘*Col. Li (now Gen. Li) said: ‘My 
prayer before God is this: that since 
God has given this brigade so much of 
His abounding Grace, that He will not 
only convert this army, but reveal the 
riches of His Grace to all China, and to 
all the world.’ 

‘‘It was only a day or two later that 
the windows of heaven were opened and 
the fire fell. I had been giving striking 
examples of spiritual awakenings fol- 
lowing special seasons of intercessory 
prayer. Gen. Feng was the chairman of 
the meeting. He knelt down on the plat- 
form before the audience and began to 
pray. Presently he broke down, and 
with his strong voice quivering with 
emotion, like Nehemiah and Daniel long 
ago, he confessed his own sins, and the 
sins of the nation. He confessed that 





















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WHEN THE Fire FELL 29 


the great enemies of China were not the 
Japanese, but the Chinese themselves, 
because of their disobedience in the 
sight of God. 

‘“‘As Gen. Feng prayed the tears 
rolled down his face until there was a 
pool where he knelt on the platform. 
While he was praying, officers all over 
the place were crying and sobbing and 
confessing their sins. It was a never- 
to-be-forgotten scene as the Holy Spirit 
came down and swept over that great 
gathering of officers, cleansing and purg- 
ing, and purifying and reviving. 

‘‘Previously five hundred men had 
been baptized; and following these spe- 
cial meetings, 507 more were baptized 
after careful examination. 

‘‘Not once but many times during the 
past years has the miraculous power of 
God been manifested in connection with 
Gen. Feng’s Army. When the Army 
was stationed at Chang-Te-fu in Hunan 
there was a severe drought. Unless 


30 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


speedy relief came the crops would fail. 
Gen. Feng called the people together, 
and like Elijah on Mount Carmel, said 
to the Buddist and Taoist priests: ‘You 
are the religious leaders of the land, you 
pray first.’ They could not. Then he 
called upon his own officers. Colonels 
Li and Lu and others, and then led in 
prayer himself. That night a great rain 
came! The drought was broken, and 
the crops were saved. 

‘‘Wour years later at Kaifeng in 
Honan a similar miraculous answer to 
prayer occurred. Again Gen. Feng 
called all the Chinese people into a big 
open space outside the city. He also as- 
sembled his men, a majority of whom 
had by that time become Christians. 
Here also the General and his officers led 
in prayer. One of those present said 
that Gen. Feng’s prayer was just like 
that of one of the Old Testament proph- 
ets as he confessed the sins of himself 
and the people, and asked God to mani- 


WHEN THE Fire FELL 31 


fest His glory and send rain. Again 
prayer was answered. Copious rain de- 
scended a day or two later, and the 
drought was broken.’’ 

It is a splendid indication of the solid- 
ity of the Work of Grace in the Chris- 
tian Army, that Gen. Feng does not 
stand alone in solitary grandeur as an 
example of piety and uprightness. The 
same devotion and consecration that 
animates his soul, is seen flaming in the 
hearts of the officers and men. During 
Dr. Goforth’s first visit to the Army in 
1918 he was commanded by Col. Chang, 
who is now Gen. Chang-Chi-chang. 
They spent two nights there, and Dr. 
Goforth ate and slept with Col. Chang. 

The young colonel was on fire to win 
his 1,500 men to Christ. He had Scrip- 
ture texts on the wall of his room, and 
was constantly speaking to his men per- 
sonally as well as publicly about accept- 
ing Christ. Later Col. Chang became 
the President of a band of 58 evangelists 


32 CuInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


in the Army. On one occasion, after 
listening to an address by Dr. Goforth, 
his love for the lost was so great that he 
declared he must leave the Army and go 
out Preaching. When he went to Gen. 
Feng and told him of his desire, the Gen- 
eral exclaimed: ‘‘Splendid! I also want 
to give up the Army and do the same.’’ 
From the inception of the Christian 
Army, the pathway of Gen. Feng and his 
officers and men has not been strewn 
with roses. On more than one occasion, 
it seemed as though nothing short of a 
miracle could save them from extermi- 
nation—but deliverance always came. 
Some years ago, while the Army was 
in the province of Hunan, they were in 
dire straits. While a southern army 
was marching against them, a northern 
General (with a still larger force) had 
orders to fall upon the troops and mas- 
sacre them. They were hemmed in on 
three sides. Humanly speaking, escape 
seemed improbable. But the eye of God 


WHEN THE Fre FELL 33 


was upon the little Army, and His Ever- 
lasting Arms were round about them. 
They escaped from the trap without the 
loss of a single life or a pound of lug- 
gage. 

When Dr. Goforth met the Army later 
and expressed his amazement at their 
deliverance, one of the Colonels said: 
‘‘ Are we not the soldiers of the Living 
God? Did He not put fear into the 
hearts of the enemy so that they dared 
not attack us?’’ But while faith 
wrought the victory, works also were not 
wanting. Col. Chang, who had been left 
with his battalion of 1,500 men to cover 
the withdrawal, said to Dr. Goforth: 

‘‘T remembered your advice when in 
Hunan last year. You said then, ‘If we 
would impress our Christianity upon the 
Armies of China, we must come behind 
in no military detail, even to our shoe- 
laces.’ We travelled at night and were 
always ready for attack. When we en- 
camped during the day, we always threw 

3 


34 CuHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


up entrenchments. It was the hot sea- 
son, therefore marching was less trying 
at night. After we had escaped from 
the southern army, we were in danger 
from a numerically stronger northern 
army. They had orders to lie in ambush 
and destroy us, but their General after- 
ward admitted that every time he 
planned to attack, he found us so ready 
that he gave it up as too dangerous. 
Before the delightful visit with Dr. 
Goforth concluded, he gave vent to a 
fervent appeal for prayer on General 
Feng and his officers and men, saying: 
‘‘T realize the terrible catastrophe 
that would occur if the leaders gave way. 
No one recognizes this more than Gen- 
eral Feng and his officers themselves. 
What the Army needs is intercessors to 
be raised up in all lands to hold up their 
hands. Dr. A. T. Pierson says that 
every revival begins in prayer, con- 
tinues just as long as the prayer-spirit 


WHEN THE Fire FELL 35 


continues, and wanes as the prayer- 
spirit wanes. 

‘“‘So with this Army. As long as 
God’s intercessors will hold them up 
they will go on from strength to 
strength. 

‘‘But if the intercessors fail, the re- 
vival-spirit in the army will wane, and 
the loss to China will be appalling. 

Will not each one who reads these 
lines pray very earnestly and definitely 
each day for Marshal Feng and the of- 
ficers and men of the Christian Army, 
that through it the Name of the Lord 
may once more be magnified and glori- 
fied? Like a meteor from a mid-night 
sky has emerged this strange phenome- 
non of the most Godly Army in the 
world in the midst of the darkness of 
heathenism. Surely the Lord has some 
great purpose in raising up this army, 
which may be revealed in the not distant 
future. In the meantime, let us not sin 
against God in ceasing to pray for them! 


CHAPTER IIT 
WHEN THE WIND BLEW 


F anyone thinks that the day of mira- 

I cles has passed, let him go to China, 

and talk with the leader in Gen. 

Feng’s Christian army. That such an 

army should suddenly emerge from the 

darkness of heathenism is in itself noth- 
ing short of miraculous. 

But it is in the history of the army 
that the protecting Hand of God has 
been most strikingly manifested. Events 
have taken place which are modern 
counterparts of Old Testament miracles. 

In the Christian army there are five 
generals under Gen. Feng. One of these 
is Major General Chang Chih-Chiang 
who was in command of the front line of 
Gen. Feng’s army in the war of 1924. 
He is small in stature, and nervous in 


temperament. When in repose his face 
36 





General Chang Chih-Chang, the flaming evangelist 
of the Christian Army. 





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WHEN THE WIND BLEW 37 


is serious; but when in conversation it 
lights up, and he has a radiant smile. 
Gen. Chang is the ‘‘Billy Sunday’’ of 
the Christian army. He speaks very 
rapidly, and with his whole body. It is 
said that he jumped two feet from the 
platform during one of his addresses. 

Following a wonderful meeting with 
thousands of Gen. Chang’s men, a num- 
ber of us were seated in his headquar- 
ters at Tunghsien. The request was 
made that Gen. Chang should tell us the 
story of his conversion; and of the part 
he had played, and the power of God he 
had witnessed, during the war of 1922 in 
the north of China. 

Gen. Chang kindly consented, and 
with glowing face, he rapidly poured 
forth the story in Chinese. At frequent 
intervals, as the general proceeded, 
friends—Rev. Martin EH. Kvall, Rev. 
Carleton Lacy, and Chaplain Chang— 
kindly gave the English translation: 


38 CHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


‘<Tt was fifteen or sixteen years ago 
that I first heard of Christianity. I did 
not like it because I had heard evil re- 
ports of missionaries scooping out the 
eyes of the Chinese. I was then a lieu- 
tenant in the imperial, not Gen. Feng’s, 
army, I was ill, but would not go to the 
mission hospital lest I should be injured 
by the Christian religion. 

‘‘Wor several years I remained in the 
army, but I was gradually getting sick 
of the evils—opium using, wine drink- 
ing, gambling and immorality—that 
were practiced by both officers and pri- 
vates. At this time, I was stationed in 
the same city where Gen. Feng’s troops 
were quartered. I saw that these evils 
were not carried on among his men, and 
such an army appealed strongly to me, 
and made me long to enlist in its ranks. 

‘‘T knew Gen. Feng and he too was 
eager that I should join his army. He 
asked me to go with him to the Y. M. C. 
A. and to churches, and introduced me 


WHEN THE WIND BLEW 39 


to pastors and others. I enjoyed their 
company, and soon saw that the evil re- 
ports of Christianity that I had heard 
were untrue. Gen. Feng also gave me a 
Bible and asked me to read it. Soon 
after he asked my commanding officer to 
release me. He consented, and I became 
Gen. Feng’s staff officer. 

‘‘At this time President Yuan Shi Kai 
wanted to become Emperor of China. 
Gen. Feng was so eager to go and fight 
Yuan Shi Kai that he cried until his 
head ached. But he was not strong 
enough to make the attempt, as he only 
had 1,000 men. The attitude of Gen. 
Feng and of the Christians throughout 
China impressed me greatly. They were 
patriotic. They loved their country, and 
were willing to sacrifice for it. I real- 
ized that the only real patriotism in 
China was among the Christians. 

‘“‘Later while travelling for Gen. 
Feng, I met a Christian general, Wu 
Ching Piao, and was entertained in his 


40 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


home. I saw the life, of a Christian 
home: his Bible study and family wor- 
ship, the schools he had started, and the 
orphans he had adopted and treated as 
his own children. Although a general, 
he was entirely different from the off- 
cials of the old style. He was as humble 
as a child. Previously I had seen what 
Christianity does for one’s country; 
here I saw the beautiful fruitage it pro- 
duces in one’s personal and home life. 
‘‘About this time my heart was very 
covetous. I had a strange experience— 
a vision, like Peter’s. I had a dream, 
and in my dream [ entered a room with 
an old hat on my head. I threw my hat 
on a table with a lot of other hats, new 
and old. They were all mixed up. When 
I started to leave, instead of taking my 
old dirty one, I picked out a nice new 
one. No sooner had I taken it, than it 
changed in my hand to an old dirty one, 
worse than my own. I woke up and 


WHEN THE WIND BLEW 41 


began to cry and to pray. I realized the 
covetous condition of my soul. 

‘‘T went to the Presbyterian church 
and told the missionary, Mr. Chapman, 
that I wanted to become a Christian. 
He explained the way of salvation to me, 
and later I was baptized with thirty of- 
ficers and two soldiers. Such a thing in 
those days was so remarkable that it 
stirred the whole of China. 

‘‘H’rom the day of my baptism I had a 
tremendous desire to read the Bible. I 
carried a Bible about with me and would 
read it whenever I could get a little 
spare time. I spent at least one-fifth of 
my time reading it. Later my desire for 
it increased so much that I spent a third 
of my time reading it. As I read about 
David and Goliath I was greatly im- 
pressed with the fact that it was not 
David’s strength that killed Goliath, but 
it was God working through him as a 
channel. In 1 Samuel 17: 45-47 David 
said: ‘Thou comest to me with sword 


42 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


and with a spear, and with a shield: but 
I come to Thee in the Name of the Lord 
of Hosts.’ 

‘‘In other passages of the Old Testa- 
ment also, in the stories of Moses, and 
Gideon, and Elisha, I saw that man’s 
strength really amounts to nothing, but 
it is God that gives the victory. I was 
greatly impressed also with Proverbs 
21:30 and 31, and realized clearly that 
safety in war, and the winning of bat- 
tles, was not man’s doing, but was of 
God. The story of Daniel was also a 
great blessing to me. 

“‘One of the passages in the Old Testa- 
ment that made the deepest impression 
upon me was the 33d chapter of Ezekiel. 
It stirred my soul to read that when we 
hear the trumpet of the gospel ourselves, 
and do not warn others of their danger, 
that their blood will be on our souls. So, 
whether they would heed the message or 
not, I felt I MUST preach the gospel to 
them, so that I might be free from the 


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“1aAVId pue SuIpval oa[qiq AOJ ANOY UOOU Ye Suosaw spestiq S,suvy,) “Ua JO SAoIp[os 





WHEN THE WIND BLEW 43 


guilt of their blood. By this time I came 
to the conclusion that it was just as nec- 
essary to study the Old Testament as the 
New; for the New Testament was sim- 
ply the fulfillment of the Old.’’ 

Having finished the story of his con- 
version, Gen. Chang went on to tell how 
God had worked for the army during the 
war in North China two years previous. 
Very simply and humbly, without the 
least trace of boasting, but with the sole 
desire to give God all the glory, he 
briefly related one of the most striking 
acts of heroism in modern military an- 
nals; and one of the most remarkable 
manifestations of divine power since the 
days of the Spanish Armada. 

The first incident Gen. Chang related 
to the little group of interested listeners, 
was simply a concrete illustration of the 
principle of God’s power working 
through a human channel such as David; 
and the second was a case of ‘‘The stars 


44 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


in their courses’’ fighting for the Chris- 
tian army. 

In 1922 Chang Tso Lin, the ruler of 
Manchuria, endeavored to usurp the cen- 
tral authority in Peking, and take con- 
trol of the Chinese Republic. Gen. Feng 
and his troops were far away from 
Peking. Gen. Feng was helping Wu Pei 
Fu in the defense of the Republic, and 
was requested to use part of his men to 
hold an important railway junction in 
Honan. 

Here is the remarkable narrative re- 
lated by Gen. Chang: ‘‘Gen. Wang and 
myself were guarding the railway junc- 
tion. Each of us had 1,000 men under 
our command. One day Gen. Feng came 
to the junction from his headquarters in 
Honan with a guard of 100 men. A few 
hours after his arrival a messenger came 
running with a sheet of paper on which 
was written in big characters the news 
that Chao Ti, the governor of Honan 
was marching on the junction with 10,- 


WHEN THE WIND BLEW 45 


000 men, and was only a few miles away. 
Chao Ti had deserted the Republic and 
joined hands with Chang Tso Lin, and 
expected by this sudden coup to capture 
the important railway junction. 

“Gen. Feng at once sent Gen. Wang 
and myself—each with our 1,000 men— 
to meet the enemy, while he went to get 
reinforcements. At 11 P.M. after 
marching five miles, we encountered the 
enemy fire. The battle continued all 
night. At nine o’clock the next morning 
our ammunition was running low. Re- 
treat seemed the only alternative. 

‘¢A little later Gen. Wang and his men 
had retreated; and all of my men had 
gone save 300 that were in a fort two or 
three miles away, and about fifty men 
that were with me. I was undecided 
whether to stand or retreat. My men 
were pulling at my hands to leave. Sud- 
denly it came to me ‘I must pray.’ (See 
1 Chronicles 5: 20.) 


46 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


‘‘After I prayed great strength and 
courage poured into my soul. I threw 
off their hands, and said, ‘‘The govern- 
ment has been feeding and training us 
all these years for this moment. We 
must stand.’ 

‘“‘One of my captains was retreating 
with four field guns. I called out to him 
that if he went any farther he would do 
so over my dead body. I ordered the 
guns placed twenty or thirty yards 
apart, and assigned a dozen men to each 
gun. At 12 o’clock I gave the order to 
advance, and to follow me as long as 
they could see me.’’ 

Think of it! Was ever such an order 
given in modern warfare! Fifty men 
commanded to advance against an 
enemy of ten thousand! But the super- 
natural power that Gen. Chang has been 
speaking about was being manifested. 
And—marvel of marvels—as the fifty 
men advanced the enemy retreated! 


WHEN THE WIND BLEW 47 


But let Gen. Chang continue the 
story: ‘‘The foe fell back a mile; and 
then a second mile. Then the enemy 
reached a more advantageous position, 
where they made a stand, while we dug 
ourselves in. That afternoon a regi- 
ment of Gen. Feng’s men came to our 
aid. Then others followed until after 
three days all of his troops had arrived. 
During the same period the enemy were 
also receiving fresh reinforcements. At 
the end of three days Gen. Feng had 
16,000 or 17,000 men against 35,000 of 
the enemy.’’ 

Gen. Chang then went on to tell of 
another supernatural manifestation of 
divine power. He continued: ‘‘During 
the entire three days that reinforce- 
ments were arriving on both sides, a 
strong wind was blowing. It was di- 
rectly behind us, and blew dust and 
gravel in the faces of the enemy. For 
three days more the wind kept on, in- 
creasing. It became a gale. Small 


48 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


trees were blown down by it. Men stand- 
ing near each other could scarcely hear 
one another’s words. We dared not 
ask for the wind, but God gave it to us. 
As we crouched in the trenches I 
shouted to the man next to me, as the 
wind roared over our heads: ‘The Lord 
is fighting for us.’ 

‘‘Gen Feng had now arrived and was 
in command. An order came that the 
entire line was to advance at twelve 
o’clock the next day. Our men were ina 
state of exhaustion. For six days they 
had no time to eat, and it was impossible 
to sleep because of the enemy’s fire, and 
the roaring of the wind. 

‘‘Just at twelve o’clock the next day, 
the wind increased still more. Though 
the men were so weak that they could 
scarcely clamber out of the trenches, yet 
the wind picked them up, and carried 
them along toward the enemy. We 
charged with bayonets and swords. As 
we advanced the enemy did not wait for 


WHEN THE WIND BLEW 49 


us. They turned and ran, and the re- 
treat became a rout. 

‘‘The wind kept on blowing at the 
back of our men during the entire three 
days’ pursuit of the foe, until we 
reached Kaifengfu, the capital of Ho- 
nan. But it gradually decreased. And 
now we had more time to eat and sleep. 
All the time the enemy were retreating 
they kept sending messages to Gen. 
Feng asking for terms. But he refused 
to accept any terms. At length the op- 
posing army went to pieces, and scat- 
tered in every direction.’’ 

Not long afterward an order came 
from the President of the Chinese Re- 
public appointing Gen. Feng Governor 
of Honan. And later Gen. Chang re- 
ceived a decoration from the President 
signalizing his heroism. 

But this was not the only part the 
Christian army was to play in the war 
of 1922. In the very heart of the war 
area, where 180,000 troops were facing 

4 


50 CuinaA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


each other, and neither side seemed able 
to win a decided victory, it was one bri- 
gade of the Christian army that turned 
the tide of battle. 








Gen. Li Ming Chung, whose troops wrought a critical 
victory in the war of 1922. 


CHAPTER IV 


HOW HEAVEN’S ARTILLERY 
HELPED 


HEN the decision hung in the 
balance in the war of 1922, it 


~ was one brigade of Gen. Feng’s 
Christian army that suddenly appeared 
on the scene, signally defeated the right 
wing of the enemy, and started a retreat 
that became'’a rout, and gave the govern- 
ment forces victory. It was a modern 
parallel of Gideon and his band. The 
Chinese Gideon was Gen. Li Ming 
Chung, one of the godly officers of Gen- 
eral Feng’s Christian army. Like his 
Old Testament predecessor Gen. Li is 
‘‘a mighty man of valor,’’ big and 
strong and robust, a picture of health 
and vigor. 
Gen. Li kindly consented to tell me the 


story of his conversion, and of how the 
51 


52 Cuma’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Lord had given victory in answer to 
prayer. The Chief Chaplain of the 
Christian army, Pastor Hsu, and Rev. 
Martin Ekvall, and myself visited Gen. 
Li at his headquarters. He received us 
graciously, and very simply and humbly 
told the narrative of how he had found 
the Light; and of the part he and his 
men had played in the civil war of 1922. 
Throughout the entire story there was 
not a trace of boasting, but rather a de- 
preciation of his own efforts, and a de- 
sire to give God all the glory. 

Gen. Li said: ‘‘In 1911 Gen. Feng 
was stationed in Peking. He was a 
major and I was a lieutenant in his 
battalion. Both of us felt we should be 
examples to our men. We did not want 
them to drink and gamble and go to 
immoral houses, but we did not know 
how to stop these practices. 

‘“We went to hear addresses about 
Christianity at the Methodist Church, 
and at the Y. M. C. A. In 1912 Dr. John 


How Heaven’s ARTILLERY HELPED 53 


R. Mott visited Peking, and held special 
meetings for soldiers. He gave an illus- 
tration that mightily convicted me of 
sin. He said a man was like a tree. Out- 
side it looked very fine. But inside it 
was eaten out by worms, and a wind 
would blow it down. So he declared 
that men who have habits of gambling 
and other evils will be blown down by 
the wind of temptation. 

‘‘T was also given a book by Dr. Mott 
showing that God was _ all-powerful; 
that man was created by God; and that 
the more a man sins the farther it drives 
him from God. Dr. Mott also empha- 
sized the value of Bible Classes. Many 
were formed. Major Feng and [I at- 
tended a Bible Class at the home of Mr. 
C. T. Wang, which was taught by Mr. C. 
T. Wang and by Mr. C. C. Wang, and 
by Bishop Norris of the Anglican 
Church. 

‘“‘Before this I had loved wine and 
gambling. Now I gave up all these 


54 Curva’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


things and accepted Christ as my Sav- 
iour. HKvery Sabbath I attended serv- 
ices at the Methodist Church. Three 
months later Gen. Feng, and four other 
officers, and myself were baptized by the 
Pastor of the church, Rev. Liu Fong. 
Soon after our baptism Major Feng and 
I organized Bible Classes for our sol- 
diers in the camp, which were conducted 
by Pastor Hsu who is now the Chief 
Chaplain of our army. 

‘‘After two months the General in 
command of the camp prohibited the 
Bible Classes from being held in the bar- 
racks. Then Major Feng sent his men 
off to Peking to attend Bible Classes 
there. He also published a book for the 
use of the soldiers, containing Chinese 
proverbs and Scripture passages. This 
was not prohibited. The first topic in 
the book was ‘Repentance.’ 

‘‘During the next eight years Major 
Feng rose to the rank of General, and 
his army increased from one thousand 


How HEAvEN’s ARTILLERY HELPED 55 


to ten thousand men. We were sent from 
place to place and engaged in ten bat- 
tles. Before each battle we prayed that 
God’s will should be done rather than 
our own. The result was we were never 
defeated, but always victorious.”’ 

Gen. Li then told the story of his vic- 
tory in the war of two years ago: ‘‘In 
1922 Gen. Chang Tso Lin came down 
from Manchuria to fight Tsao Kun 
(President of the Chinese Republic), 
and, Wu Pei Fu (the Commander of the 
government military forces). Gen. Feng 
was then Military Governor of Shensi. 
They wired him asking if he would send 
some of his troops to their aid. 

‘*Gen. Feng called his officers together 
to ascertain their opinion. I said, ‘This 
call is not to fight against Chang Tso 
Lin, but to save our country.’ Gen. 
Feng decided to accept the call, and two 
days later began a rapid march to the 
railway 300 miles distant. My brigade 
was sent ahead, and by traveling night 


56 CurInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


and day we completed the journey in 
seven days. 

‘“‘Later a wire came to Gen. Feng 
from Tsao Kun asking him to send Gen. 
Chang and his brigade to join Wu Pei 
Fu in his stand against Chang Tso Lin. 
But this was not feasible as Gen. Chang 
was not there at the time. Just as for- 
merly I had heard God’s call to go to the 
war; so now I seemed to hear His voice 
saying, ‘You are to go against Chang 
Tso Lin.’ 

‘‘When I asked Gen. Feng if I could 
go to the front with my men he replied, 
‘Wait a little, and let us think about it.’ 
I went away and prayed, and again re- 
ceived the assurance that I would be 
sent. An hour later word came from 
Gen. Feng that I was to prepare to leave 
at once. We entrained for Toli, where 
my men were prepared for the battle.’’ 

As Gen. Li continued the narrative it 
was interesting to notice how he asked 


How Hraven’s ARTILLERY HELPED 57 


and received a sign from the Lord, just 
like his predecessor long ago. He said: 

‘‘The two armies were arrayed one 
against the other. On the north was 
Chang Tso Lin’s army of 120,000 men, 
and facing him was Wu Pei Fu’s forces 
with 60,000 men. I went to my tent, and 
asked God to give me a sign whether or 
not China was to be destroyed. The 
Lord showed me that I was to go over 
the mountains, around the opposing 
armies, and come upon Chang Tso Lin’s 
men from the rear. 

‘‘Acting upon the word given me by 
the Lord, I set out with my brigade of 
five thousand men. We crossed the 
mountain range, and spent the night on 
the other side. Harly the next morning 
we again set out as it was necessary to 
cross the mountain once more. As we 
were marching we took wrong road. We 
met an old woman who said, ‘You are 
going in the wrong direction. You must 


58 CuinA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


take the other road.’ As we went over 
the mountain the passes were so narrow 
in some places that four men with ma-- 
chine guns could have held up the entire 
brigade.”’ 

Just as long ago Gideon and his band 
suddenly blazed forth from a hilltop; so 
their modern successors unexpectedly 
opened fire from the top of a hill—only 
in China the action was at noon instead 
of at night. Continuing the narrative, 
Gen. Li said: 

‘‘ After passing the crest of the moun- 
tain we came out on a hill overlooking 
one of the chief headquarters of Chang 
Tso Lin’s troops. Thirty thousand men 
were in the valley below, only half a mile 
distant. At noon I gave the order to 
open fire. The artillery remained on the 
hillside, while the infantry advanced. 
After three hours fighting the enemy be- 
gan to retreat. A brigadier general was 
among those of the enemy who were 





Rev. Liu Fong, who baptized Marshal Feng and 
Gen. Li, leading the singing when three 
thousand of the troops were baptized. 





Col. Chang and some officers of a calvary regiment with 
their pocket Testaments. 


< 





— 
nae wee 


pe ar hes 





How HEAvVEN’s ARTILLERY HELPED 59 


killed. We captured five hundred men 
and 1,000 rifles and machine guns. Our 
total losses were three killed and ten 
wounded.”’ 

The parallel between General Li and 
the Old Testament story was further 
carried out through his following the foe 
and winning a second victory: 

‘“‘For three days we followed the 
enemy. At length we came upon two 
brigades who were resting. I ordered 
my troops to charge. Before the attack 
the air had been quite calm. As we ad- 
vanced a very strong wind arose. It 
was at our back, and blew directly in 
the face of the enemy. As we advanced 
the men turned and fled. We captured 
600 men, and four field guns, and 70 
carts.’’ 

Thus this modern Gideon with a mere 
handful of 5,000 men turned the right 
wing of Chang Tso Lin’s army, and 
started a retreat that spread throughout 


60 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


the enemy forces, and swept 120,000 
men back into Manchuria. Truly the 
Lord God of Hosts still rules and reigns, 
‘‘that the living may know that the 
Most High ruleth in the kingdom of 
men, and giveth it to whomsoever He 
will. . . . He delivereth and rescueth, 
and He worketh signs and wonders in 
heaven and in earth. . . . The people 
that do know their God shall be strong, 
and do exploits.’’ 

Gen. Li then continued the narrative, 
telling how they followed the retreating 
troops first to Tientsin, and then farther 
north. Nor did he and his men neglect 
to praise God—and that openly—for the 
victories achieved. He said: 

‘“‘As we waited at the station at 
Tientsin we sang hymns, and prayed, 
and thanked God for the victories He 
had given. As Chang Tso Lin’s men 
went northward they looted the towns 
en route. One of the towns they would 


How Heaven’s ArtTmuERY Hetprp 61 


pass through on their way back to Man- 
churia, was Lu Tai. At this place there 
lived a retired Christian general named 
Hsu Shu Shun. He spent an entire 
night in prayer asking God to protect 
Lu Tai from being looted. As he prayed 
the Lord seemed to give him the assur- 
ance that his prayer would be answered. 
So he decided to remain in the town with 
his family instead of leaving as many 
were doing in other places. 

‘‘Presently a regiment of Mukden 
cavalry reached Lu Tai. The men were 
very tired, and many of them slept in 
the early afternoon. Suddenly at 3 
P. M., while some were still sleeping and 
others had finished their siesta, there 
was a terrific noise like that of an ex- 
ploding shell. The Mukden troops 
sprang up and leapt upon their horses. 
Some did not even take time to put on 
their saddles. They left their ammuni- 
tion and other carts, and fled for their 
lives. The noise was in reality a clap 


62 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


of thunder, from a sky that was only 
a little cloudy, instead of a shell from 
pursuing troops! It was Heaven’s ar- 
tillery making itself heard in answer to 
prayer. 

‘<The next day 500 infantry troops 
reached Lu Tai in their retreat north- 
ward. They asked for a boat to take 
them down the river to the coast where 
they could get a steamer for Manchuria. 
Gen. Hsu explained that their use of the 
boat might make difficulties when the 
pursuing troops arrived. They misun- 
derstood him, and thought he said the 
pursuing troops were then arriving. So 
they hurried away on foot instead of 
taking the boat. Thus a second time 
their property was protected by divine 
interposition.’’ 

Gen. Li and his men followed the re- 
treating troops through Lu Tai and 
some distance beyond. Then they re- 
turned and spent three days in Lu Tai 
preaching the gospel. The meetings 


How Heaven’s ArtmLery HELPep 63 


were held in a theater, and the speakers 
included Gen. Li and several of his 
colonels and majors. A great many of 
the people believed and turned to the 
Lord. 


CHAPTER V 
WHY PEKING WAS CAPTURED 


GAIN in 1924 there was civil war 

A in China. Once more Marshal 

Feng, and his army were called 

upon to assist Wu Pei-fu against their 

former foe, Chang Tso-lin of Man- 
churia. 

Marshal Feng and his men went 
northward toward the enemy. They re- 
mained inactive for some weeks, and 
then astonished the world by suddenly 
making a forced march back to Peking 
and capturing the city in order to end 
the war and bring peace. The action of 
Marshal Feng was severely criticized. 

Shortly before the sudden capture of 
Peking, the writer left the capital for 
similar labor in the central and eastern 


provinces. The only information I could 
64 


Wuy Prexine Was CAPTURED 65 


secure about the war in the north of 
China was gained from vague rumors 
and from scrappy and often misleading 
newspaper reports. I felt the full force 
of the ‘‘storm of criticism and misrepre- 
sentation’’ of Marshal Feng, as Mr. 
Hoste has phrased it, which swept over 
China like a dust storm from the Gobi 
Desert. 

Various friends urged me to make a 
special visit to Peking to ascertain the 
real facts in the case. On reaching the 
capital, the first person with whom I 
talked was Mr. Arie Kok, the Chancel- 
lor of the Netherlands Legation. He 
has been in China fifteen years, and 
speaks exceptionally fluent Chinese. He 
was in the inner circle of events from 
the very beginning of the civil conflict. 
Probably few if any foreigners in the 
capital had as many opportunities as 
Mr. Kok to look behind the scenes. 
When I asked Mr. Kok, as a private in- 
dividual, about the present status of the 

5 


66 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Christian army, he said: ‘‘The events 
of the past few months in China have 
cast no shadow on the character of 
Marshal Feng in the minds of those 
familiar with the facts. He is worthy of 
our high esteem and respect, both as a 
sincere Christian, and as a good patriot, 
just as much as before the Peking 
coup d’etat. 

‘‘Marshal Feng’s army is totally dif- 
ferent from other Chinese armies. 
Other troops fall or stand with their 
leaders. The only force that holds them 
together is their pay. Marshal Feng’s 
men are held together by their Christian 
principles and their ideals of love for 
the welfare of the nation. The army re- 
mains intact even when the men have 
not been paid for months. 

‘‘Marshal Feng still controls the 
army. <As for morality and Christian 
spirit and character, this army remains 
unique in all the world. It has more 


Wuy Prxina Was CAPTURED 67 


than doubled in strength, and now num- 
bers from 60,000 to 80,000 men. 

‘“‘The good work begun by Marshal 
Feng is continued by his brigadier 
generals, who have been promoted by 
presidential mandates, and now hold im- 
portant positions in and around the 
capital.’’ | 

In speaking of the principles that 
should guide us in forming our opinions 
of Marshal Feng and his actions, Mr. 
Kok said: ‘‘To attempt to measure the 
actions of Chinese Christians by West- 
ern standards would be an error. It 
could hardly be expected that those who 
have known the Bible for only a short 
time would live and act exactly like 
Christians schooled in the Scriptures 
from infancy, and brought up in a Chris- 
tian environment, and with centuries of 
Christian experience at their back. So 
at times the conduct of Marshal Feng 
and his Christian generals may be gov- 


68 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


erned more in accordance with Old Tes- 
tament standards than is usual with us. 

‘‘The Oriental, with the precedent of 
Chinese history and the sanction of na- 
tional custom, may well misinterpret 
much of the Old Testament. Certainly 
sound New Testament teaching and 
study are still needed in Feng’s army, 
and indeed they themselves recognize 
this, and are anxious to have such 
help.’’ 

One of the main objects of my visit to 
Peking was to find out the real reasons 
for Marshal Feng’s sudden return from 
the battle-front to the capital to over- 
throw those in authority and assume for 
a time the reins of government. 

The first person from whom I sought 
a statement on the subject was Pastor 
Hsu, the Chief Chaplain of the Christian 
army, who had cooperated splendidly in 
the work among‘ the troops some months 
previous. When I asked him what led 





Pastor Hsu, the chief chaplain of the 
Christian Army, who helped in 
leading Marshal Feng to 
Christ. 





Carting Testaments for the troops through the 
streets of Peking. 





Wuy Prexine Was Caprurep 69 


Marshal Feng to make the momentous 
decision, he said: ‘‘He returned to 
Peking for the following reasons: 

Ist. Wu Pei-fu was not prepared for 
war, while Chang Tso-lin had been pre- 
paring for two years. 

2nd. Wu Pei-fu had practically no 
money with which to carry on the con- 
flict, while Chang T'so-lin had plenty of 
money. 

3rd. No winter clothing was provided 
for Marshal Feng’s men, yet they were 
ordered to march northward through 
the desert on a month’s journey in an 
encircling movement on Mukden. The 
men would have perished with the cold. 

4th. The food supply sent to Marshal 
Feng was utterly insufficient. The flour 
and rice furnished would only last 15 
days at the most 

5th. The promise of financial help was 
broken. Marshal Wu promised $500,- 
000, but a total of only $200,000 was 
received. Marshal Feng had 5,000 carts 


70 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


and 3,000 camels for which he had prom- 
ised to pay $10,000 a day, so the $200,000 
would only last 20 days for the carts and 
camels, with nothing for food or pay for 
the soldiers. 

6th. Marshal Feng was told to take 
money and food from the people. But 
he refused to rob or loot. In addition 
there were not sufficient people in the 
desert to support his army, even if he 
had wished to loot as he marched. 

7th. He was unwilling to support a 
war that meant the slaughter of so many 
Chinese by Chinese, with nothing to be 
gained in the event of victory. 

8th. He returned to Peking to bring 
about peace, and was willing to fight, if 
need be, to secure this end. 

Before I left Peking Mr. Kok ar- 
ranged an interview with an official who 
is perhaps better fitted than almost any 
other person to speak authoritatively on 
behalf of Marshal Feng. He is Mr. 
Hsieh Tupi, the Civil Governor of 


Way Prexina Was CapTureD 71 


Peking, who was one of Marshal Feng’s 
representatives at the reorganization 
Conference. 

When I asked Mr. Hsieh Tu-pi what 
had actuated Marshal Feng in making 
the Peking coup d’e’tat, he said: 
‘“Marshal Feng’s main object during 
the past four months has been peace 
and unity in the Chinese nation. In 
coming back from the front during the 
fighting his aim was to bring about 
peace. 

‘‘He was not in enmity with Wu and 
Tsau Kun; but their objects were dif- 
ferent. Their object was war: his ob- 
ject was peace. Hence for this reason 
he invited Tuan Chi-jui to come to 
Peking. Tuan is a man who is honored 
in China, and is known for his honesty 
and uprightness of character, so Feng 
thought he was the man to save China. 

‘‘Chang Tso-lin and Wu Pei-fu had 
already been fighting for two months 
and the end was not in sight. The war 


72 Curna’s CHristTiAN ARMY 


might have lasted many months more. 
Many lives had already been sacrificed 
and much money spent. Feng made the 
peace move in order to stop the needless 
bloodshed and civil strife, and bring 
peace. 

‘‘Then Marshal Feng resigned be- 
cause he wanted to show that his move 
had been made simply and solely for the 
benefit of the country, and not for his 
private interest. He also wished to show 
that he had no enmity toward Wu and 
Tsau Kun. At that time Marshal Feng 
sent telegrams to all the provinces and 
to Wu and other generals to sacrifice 
their private interests for the good of 
the country. 

‘‘In that wire there was one impor- 
tant sentence which was this: it is the 
military men, instead of the people, who 
are the cause of the troubles in China. 
He also expressed the hope that in the 
future the military leaders would act for 
the benefit of the people rather than for 


Wuy Perexine Was Caprurep 73 


their injury. The telegram also de- 
clared that for thirteen years the mili- 
tary leaders have been alternately in 
power by fighting, and Marshal Feng 
hoped that henceforth they would stop 
their internal struggles for power, and 
come to a lasting peace. 

‘‘In all these efforts Marshal Feng 
was perfectly sincere. He resigned 
three times, and three times his resigna- 
tion was not accepted. Because the 
political situation has not been settled, 
Tuan desires Feng to remain at the head 
of his army so he can be ready for 
future eventualities. 

‘‘Marshal Feng has now resigned for 
the fourth time because he thinks there 
is no need for him. But Tuan still wants 
to retain him, and has refused his fourth 
resignation.’’ * 

When I asked Mr. Hsieh why Marshal 
Feng deposed the young Emperor, he 
said: ‘‘When the agreement was made 





* Other resignations followed. 


74 CuHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


about the Manchu abdication, it was 
stipulated that the Emperor should 
leave the palace within a short period 
of time. However, he never left the 
palace. On the contrary he continued to 
issue edicts, and to keep up his court, 
and to receive the homage of the 
Manchu nobles So in this way he re- 
mained Emperor among his own clan. 
‘‘This was a cause of confusion to the 
people; and was not in accord with the 
spirit of a real republic. It was also a 
cause for all sorts of rumors and plots 
for the restoration of the monarchy. 
Feng and his cabinet decided to put an 
end to this anomalous situation.”’ 
When I asked about Marshal Feng’s 
attitude toward Bolshevism, Mr. Hsieh 
said very positively: ‘‘Feng has not 
the least connection with Bolshevism.’’ 
In conclusion I asked why it was that 
Marshal Feng has been sent off to the 
frontier of the country, instead of being 
given a prominent position in the heart 


Way Prexine Was CapTurEepD 75 


of China. In reply he said: ‘‘When 
Feng went to Tientsin for a conference 
with Tuan and Chang, it was suggested 
by Chang Tsolin that Marshal Feng 
should become Governor of the rich cen- 
tral province of Hupeh. But Feng de- 
clined this offer, because the object of 
his coup d’e’tat was not to gain a prov- 
ince but to serve his country. Moreover, 
his acceptance of this position would 
have caused fresh fighting, which was in 
opposition to his ideals of peace. 
‘Marshal Feng had often expressed 
his desire to get the sparsely populated 
districts colonized. Tuan seeing that 
Marshal Feng refused to accept any of- 
fice in China proper, thought he might 
re-accept the appointment to his old 
office which was Director General of the 
Northwestern Frontier. Thus far Mar- 
shal Feng has not accepted even this 
position. 
‘‘Marshal Feng compares China to a 
family where all want to be near the fire. 


76 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


But there is not room enough for all 
near the fire. There is plenty of room 
outside the central part of China and 
few people are living in these outer 
places. 

‘His idea is that instead of all crowd- 
ing around the fire, they should go to the 
sparsely populated places and start fires 
by cultivating the land and immigration. 

‘“‘Tuan has found out now that Mar- 
shal Feng does not want to have a fine 
place in some rich province in China; 
but that he likes these out-of-way places. 
Hence he hopes he will devote himself 
to immigration.”’ 

Shortly before Mr. D. E. Hoste left 
Shanghai for a trip to Australia and 
Great Britain, I asked what he thought 
of Marshal Feng’s Peking coup d’e’tat. 
In reply he dictated a strong statement 
showing the tremendous responsibility 
a person takes upon himself in deciding 
to forsake his superior officer; but de- 
claring that under certain circumstances 


Wuy Prexine Was CapPrurepD 17 


it was not only permissible, but justi- 
fiable. Mr. Hoste said further that look- 
ing at the past records of Wu and Feng 
he felt the latter was entirely justified 
in his action. Let me quote Mr. Hoste’s 
own words: ‘‘It is necessary to inquire 
what use Marshal Wu Pei-fu had made 
of the great power which had been his 
during the preceding years. Had he 
made any adequate efforts to put down 
brigandage, and protect life and prop- 
erty? Had he made any attempt even 
to curtail the terrible opium evil? Had 
he taken steps to check the notorious 
dishonesty amongst some high officials? 
Had the immense sums of public money 
in his hands been spent in promoting the 
public interests? With every desire to 
recognize the practical difficulties of 
dealing with the above matters in China 
at the present time, and also to recog- 
nize that no man, however good and 
able, could fairly be expected to do away 
with them completely in a compara- 


78 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


tively brief space of time, I nevertheless 
fear that truth and justice require a dis- 
tinctly negative reply to the above 
questions. 

‘‘Tt is an indisputable fact, to which 
the past record of Marshal Feng bears 
witness, that ever since he has wielded 
any substantial measure of authority, he 
exerted his whole power and influence 
in order to deal with public evils and to 
promote the best interests of the com- 
munity. Let me repeat my belief that 
he has sincerely endeavored to act 
rightly at the present time is not based 
upon the fact that he has for some years 
made a public profession of Christi- 
anity. Everyone knows that such pro- 
fession may be made, even with a con- 
siderable measure of sincerity, and yet 
may not be deep and strong enough to 
govern the conduct of a public man at 
all times. Let me not be misunderstood. 
Personally, I am convinced that Mar- 
shal Feng is a sincere Christian of high 


Wuy Prexine Was Caprurep 79 


character, but I do not base my estimate 
of his action upon that. I do point to 
the incontrovertible fact that his past 
record is that of a public man who has 
constantly set an example of self-deny- 
ing devotion to the public interest within 
the limits of his power and authority. 

“‘In closing this letter I must again 
repeat that for my own part, my mature 
considered judgment is, that Marshal 
Feng acted rightly in leaving Marshal 
Wu, thereby averting great evils from 
his country. 

*‘T trust you will be greatly helped in 
securing the earnest persevering 
prayers of Christian people everywhere 
on his behalf, and in clearing away from 
many minds the doubt and distrust en- 
gendered by the recent storm of criti- 
cism and misrepresentation. It is my 
own habit to pray for him two or three 
times every day.”’ 

Shall we not follow Mr. Hoste’s ex- 


80 Cuimna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


ample; and as Aaron and Hur long ago 
held up the hands of Moses, so may we 
not help to bring to Marshal Feng and 
his officers and men divine guidance and 
wisdom and strength by our earnest and 
daily intercession on their behalf? 


ae 


: 


> f : 
—_ 4 








Happy warriors with their pocket Testaments. 


CHAPTER VI 


HOW PRAYER STOPPED THE 
BATTLE 


EN. CHANG-CHIH-CHANG, the 
flaming evangelist, led the first 
battle line of the Christian army 

in the war of 1924. I was eager to se- 
cure the story of the war from his own 
lips. He was then Tuchun of Charhar 
with his capital at Kalgan, about 200 
miles north of Peking. Marshal Feng 
was also staying in Kalgan for a time 
so there was a double incentive to visit 
this city. 

After a seven hours railway journey 
from Peking over the only line in the 
country built entirely by the Chinese, 
Kalgan was reached. It has a frontier 
flavor like a city on the Western plains 


of the United States or Canada. Mar- 
81 
6 


82 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY | 


shal Feng kindly received my mission- 
ary host, Rev. Carl Soderbom and my- 
self; and following the interview in- 
vited us to take breakfast with himself 
and a number of his Generals. During 
the meal I asked Marshal Feng if it was 
true that he had had eight suits of for- 
eign clothes made for travel abroad. 
‘‘No,’’ said he, ‘‘that is a mistake. It 
is nine.”’ 

General Chang Chih-chang readily 
granted my request for a connected ac- 
count of the army from the beginning 
to the end of the conflict. Indeed he ex- 
ceeded my request. He and his wife 
invited the missionaries of Kalgan to be 
their guests at tiffin at the Tuchun’s 
Yamen. After the luncheon he took the 
company into his office. After offering 
a fervent prayer, General Chang began 
the story of the deed that changed the 
history of China. 

Speaking in his usual rapid, impas- 
sioned manner, and illustrating the 


How Prayer Strorprpep THE Battin 83 


events described with waving arms, 
General Chang said: 

‘From the beginning of its career the 
Christian army had not dared to take a 
step without asking Divine sanction. 
Conditions in China made the entry of 
the army into the recent war a difficult 
problem. 

‘‘The President of the Republic, Tsau 
Kun, was covetous of money; and Wu 
Pei-fu of power. The President was 
seeking to get more and more money, 
instead of to save China. If anyone 
wished to have an interview with T'sau 
Kun he had to pay to secure it, showing 
his love of money rather than of his 
country. Wu Pei-fu did not have that 
fault, but he wanted to be ‘the big man’ 
of China. He was determined to rule 
the country by force of arms, no matter 
how much loss of life and suffering was 
entailed. 

‘‘Marshal Feng was promised guns 
and equipment before he left Peking. 


84 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


He only received a portion of the arms 
and ammunition. The remainder was 
only supplied after Marshal Feng had 
personally paid more than $100,000 to 
Tsau Kun. 

‘“At length the army began its march 
northward. As they journeyed the 
leaders were praying earnestly that the 
Lord would show them clearly what they 
ought to do. 

“On October 19th, Marshal Feng 
called a meeting of the Brigadier-Gen- 
erals and made a long address to them. 
He felt very sorrowful. He wept over 
the sad plight into which the country 
had come through the impotence and 
corruption of its rulers, Hach of those 
present made long prayers asking God 
to show them His will in the matter. At 
the close of the meeting all, with one ac- 
cord, felt they should return to Peking.’’ 


At this point there were interruptions 
and we departed. <A couple of days 


How Prayer Sroprep THe Batruzt 85 


later General Chang continued the nar- 
rative, saying: 

‘‘It was an eight days’ march to the 
capital. They decided, however, that 
the journey must be made in four days. 
For this reason Marshal Feng asked 
God to grant them two things: First, 
physical strength for the troops; and 
second, that there should be no rain dur- 
ing those days. : 

‘Both petitions were granted. Be- 
fore they started there was a heavy 
rainfall; but no rain en route. The men 
were able to endure the strain without 
any mishaps. They marched all night 
and part of each day. They only 
slept three or four hours in the twenty- 
four, and reached Peking in four days 
as planned. Tsau Kun and Wu Pei-fu 
could not understand how they had come 
back so quickly. 

At six o’clock in the morning, on the 
23rd day of October, they quietly en- 
tered Peking. The city was taken with- 


86 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


out a shot being fired. Later in the day 
other soldiers of the army entered the 
city singing hymns. 

‘“‘At Peiyuan a few miles north of 
Peking, Marshal Feng held a meeting 
with his officers, and with General Sun 
Yush, and General Hu Sheng Yi. They 
sent out a telegram to the whole of 
China saying they had determined to 
stop the war and uphold peace. 

‘“‘This telegram was received by Wu 
Pei-fu. He did not believe it was true. 
He thought that Feng and Hu were still 
at the front. How then could they send 
out such a telegram from Peking? 
Marshal Wu also sent out a telegram to 
the whole of China saying the wire 
signed by Marshal Feng and the others 
was false. He also sent a wire to Mar- 
shal Feng at Jehol asking if the tele- 
gram was true and saying, ‘I hear that 
you and General Hu are at Peking. But 
how did you get there so soon?’ 


How Prayer SToprep THE BATTLE 87 


‘Marshal Feng replied saying, ‘Yes, 
it is true. We are all here at Peking. 
We are organizing the National Army.’ 
When Wu Pei-fu received this message 
he was very angry. He was then in the 
front line of battle near Shanhaikwan. 
He left there at once, giving the com- 
mand of his men to his officers, and came 
back to Tientsin. He sent telegrams to 
the provinces he controlled asking them 
to send troops to Tientsin to fight with 
Marshal Feng. 

‘‘Both sides then prepared for battle. 
Wu sent troops toward Peking to dig 
trenches. Marshal Feng sent men to 
meet his opponent. [I led the first line of 
our troops consisting of about 16,000 
men. The opposing forces met and 
began to fight. 

There were about 30,000 men on each 
side. 

‘‘Our aim was to uphold peace. We 
did not wish to fight and only did so to 
bring peace more quickly. Day and 


88 CuinaA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


night, both as individuals and in groups, 
both at the front and in the rear, we 
were praying and asking for God’s plan 
to be revealed. 

‘““There were four days of severe 
fighting. On the last day of the four, on 
Sunday, November 2nd, we held Divine 
service as usual at 8 o’clock in the morn- 
ing. At this time the fighting was 
severe, only a mile away. The roar of 
the big guns shook the earth and the 
fences. Only parts of the address could 
be heard. Several officers made earnest 
prayers that the fighting might quickly 
end. 

‘‘The position of our troops was very 
poor. The ground was level. The men 
had no natural shelter. The foe had a 
river-bank and a village to protect them. 
A shallow river ran between the two 
forces. The only way to get to the 
enemy’s side of the river was by a rail- 
way bridge. 


How Prayer STopreD THE Battie 89 


‘‘At ten o’clock that morning all the 
officers and men of Marshal Wu sur- 
rendered! They put down their arms 
on the river-bank and said they would 
fight no more. This sudden surrender 
of the enemy, when they had such a good 
position, was such a clear answer to 
prayer, that it seemed to indicate that 
we were in the line of God’s will in seek- 
ing to bring peace. 

‘«The first line of the enemy extended 
along the river, while other lines of their 
troops extended back to Tientsin. It 
was miraculous that when the first line 
of Marshal Wu’s men laid down their 
arms, all the other lines right back to 
Tientsin also surrendered to General Li 
and General Sun. The following day we 
entered Tientsin. As we approached, 
Wu Pei-fu fled.’’ 

After the conclusion of the war Gen- 
eral Chang wished to resign from the 
army to go throughout China preaching 
Christ. His plan was to attend a Theo- 


90 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


logical School for a time and then go out 
as an evangelist. He went to Marshal 
Feng to present his resignation, but his 
chief succeeded in persuading him not 
to leave the army, saying that although 
commanding troops he could still preach 
Christ. 


Later General Chang was promoted to 
the rank of a full General and was made 
Tuchun of Charhar. But notwithstand- 
ing his civil and military duties, General 
Chang is hoping to carry out an exten- 
sive evangelistic program. He wants to 
send out Evangelistic Bands composed 
of military officers to various provinces 
of China to win the soldiers to Christ. 
He said: 

‘‘T have drawn out a plan for forming 
Evangelistic Bands, composed of some 
of my officers and myself, to go out to 
evangelize the Chinese troops in various 
provinces. It is now in the hands of 
Marshal Feng.’’ 


How Prayer Sroprep THE Battur 91 


But General Chang’s concern for the 
salvation of souls is not confined to his 
public preaching. The story is told that 
one of his first questions to one of the 
foreign Consuls in Kalgan was whether 
he was a Christian. When the reply was 
a bit dubious, he asked whether he had 
ever examined the doctrine. 

As General Chang does not speak 
English the interview was interpreted 
by Rev. H. S. Chang, the Chaplain of 
the troops under the command of the 
Tuchun. Chaplain Chang also inter- 
preted for me as I spoke to nearly one 
hundred officers. Most of the men had 
received Pocket Testaments nine or ten 
months previous. When I asked how 
many had read the Testament every day 
since, about ninety per cent raised their 
hands; while in reply to the second 
query as to how many had carried the 
little Books each day since, it seemed 
as if one hundred per cent of their hands 
were upraised. 


92 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


The war in China and the ensuing 
events have not lessened, but greatly in- 
creased the opportunity and obligation 
of prayer for Marshal Feng and his of- 
ficers and men; and for those now asso- 
ciated with him. Not only has Marshal 
Feng’s own army doubled in numbers; 
but the armies of Generals Sun and Hu 
—each numbering tens of thousands— 
are working in cooperation with him. 

This presents a unique and urgent 
appeal for intercession on the part of 
Christian people in all lands. Will you 
not link your prayers with those of mul- 
titudes of others in praying daily and 
earnestly for a gracious outpouring of 
God’s Spirit upon Marshal Feng and 
his officers and men; and for his as- 
sociates and their troops; and for the 
spread of the Word of God, and a great 
spiritual awakening throughout China? 


a wane see 


oo 








Mr. Wang and the wheelbarrow with which he is making 
a preaching tour through China. 


CHAPTER VII 


PAUL WANG: POLICEMAN- 
PRISONER-PREACHER 


' N 7. HILE commanding one of the 
brigades of Marshal Feng’s 
army, near Peking, there was 

laid upon the heart of General Chang a 

longing to preach the Gospel to the men 

in the First Model Prison of China’s 
capital. Naturally, the prison authori- 
ties welcomed the coming of General 

Jong to speak to the men. He addressed 

the men on several occasions, telling 

them of the joy and peace he had found 
in following Christ, and pleading with 
them to forsake idols, and follow and 
serve the living and true God. One of 
his addresses was only three hours in 
length! 

The prisoners were greatly impressed 


with the fiery eloquence of this General 
93 


94 Cuimna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


who loved them enough to take time to 
come and tell them of the blessing he 
had found in the new religion. Scores 
of them believed, and later thirty-six of 
them were baptized. 

One of those turned to God through 
the preaching of General Chang was a 
man who had formerly been a policeman 
in Peking. He had been mixed up in a 
fracas, and was just finishing a term of 
three years. The policeman-prisoner 
felt so grateful to God for saving his 
soul that he decided while still in prison 
to devote the remainder of his life to 
preaching the Gospel to his fellow- 
countrymen. His wife was dead, and 
his daughter betrothed, so that he was 
free from family encumbrances. He de- 
termined to make a ten years’ preaching 
tour of the twenty-two provinces of 
China. 

After leaving the prison, he spent two 
months in Peking, preparing for the 
trip. Each night he attended a Bible 


Paut WANG 95 


Class at the Shunchihmen Church to get 
a better knowledge of the Word of God. 
At this time he also joined the Pocket 
Testament League and received a 
Pocket Testament similar to that pre- 
sented to General Feng’s soldiers. He 
secured Gospels from different agencies 
and sold them to supply his needs and to 
help in preparing his outfit for the pro- 
posed trip throughout China, 

At this time he also received a little 
money that was due to him from the 
Police Department, and which had been 
held by them during his imprisonment. 
He used $4.00 of his scanty fund to pur- 
chase a wheelbarrow. He loaded the 
wheelbarrow with his luggage, and with 
a supply of Gospels to sell en route. The 
barrow also bore a flag, stating he was 
making a preaching tour throughout 
China. It was in the spring of the year 
that Mr. Wang started from Peking on 
his unique wheelbarrow campaign of 
spreading the Word of God and preach- 


96 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


ing Christ. For some time he visited 
various villages about the capital, and 
then set out for the provinces, pushing 
his wheelbarrow. 

After reaching Kucheng, his tour was 
stopped for a time by the continuous 
rains which flooded the roads and made 
further progress impossible. Being 
unable to visit new territory, Mr. Wang 
was practically penniless. The Chris- 
tians of Kuchong kindly helped him, but 
he did not like to receive their as- 
sistance. 

A kind-hearted Christian named Pan 
asked Mr. Wang whether there was any 
trade at which he could work. He re- 
plied that in the prison he had learned 
to make tin kettles. Mr. Pan then said 
that he would give Mr. Wang a small 
room in which to work and sleep and 
would lend him $10.00 for purchasing 
material with which to make tin kettles 
for a time until he could continue his 
journey. 


Paut WANG 97 


Mr. Wang visited the near-by city of 
Paoting-fu to purchase some tools for 
making the ketles. Being unable to se- 
cure the special implements that he de- 
sired, Mr. Wang sent a letter to the head 
of the First Model Prison, asking him 
if he would kindly send him the tools, 
and stating that he would remit the 
money on receipt of them. 

It was while I was working among the 
men in the First Model Prison in Peking 
that the head of the prison showed me 
the letter that he had received from Mr. 
Wang. At the same time the superin- 
tendent of the prison spoke very highly 
of the change in Mr. Wang’s life. The 
letter was as follows: 

‘<TH Heap of THE PRISON, 
‘‘Dear Sir: 

‘¢Since we parted from each other we 
have not seen each other for a long time. 
I hope you are all very well. After I 
was blessed by God by becoming a Chris- 
tian, I made up my mind to preach 

7 


98 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


through all the provinces of China as 
soon as I got out of the prison. Now I 
have preached almost half a year since 
I was released. Everywhere I went 
the fellow-Christians treated me very 
kindly. 

‘On the Dragon Festival Day, I trav- 
elled to Yao Tsun Chen, six miles away 
from Lai Shuie, toward the northwest. 
At that time there was a special market 
in which a Chinese play was acted, and 
many people were coming to worship the 
idols in the temples near by. I preached 
before the platform of the theatre. At 
the same time, I met a fellow-Christian 
who came from Chiang Ying Tsun, four 
miles away northeast, whose name was 
Kao Ting Chen. He was preaching 
evangelistic truth in the same place. We 
two preached together to show the glory 
of our Lord. The next day I was asked 
to come to his village to preach. 

‘‘After a few days, I was ready to 
leave the village, but Christian Kao and 


PauLt WANG 99 


his wife, who are enthusiastic Chris- 
tians, did not allow me to do so, as they 
knew that I was only preaching,— 
neither begging money from any one 
nor having a certain income or salary 
for the daily iving. They gave me some 
food just the same as that which they 
took every day. I had no money, except 
a little cash I received from selling the 
Gospels. Though I had no fine food to 
eat; no rich clothes to wear; and no 
cozy house in which to live, yet I was 
always much happier than before. 
‘“‘They knew my intention to always 
preach the Gospel, so they established a 
primary school named Wu Chen Service 
School. The boys came to this school 
without any tuition. I was asked to 
teach the poor boys in this school with- 
out getting any salary, but only for food 
supplied by Christian Kao. The school 
opened on the sixth of the sixth month. 
*‘T taught for only two weeks. Sud- 
denly the heavy rain came down con- 


100 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


tinually for nearly a month. The flood 
rushed down quickly from the moun- 
tains. All the fields along the river 
banks were washed away. Half of 
Christian Kao’s twenty acres of field 
were washed away, so he could not sup- 
port me. Then I said Good-bye to him 
and decided to go to Shansi through 
Paoting-fu. 

‘‘When I came to Ku Cheng Chen, I 
heard that all the roads were washed 
away, and I could not go any further 
with my wheelbarrow loaded with bag- 
gage and Gospels, so I was obliged to 
stay a few days in the Ku Cheng Church. 
In this church there was a fellow-Chris- 
tian whose name was Pan Chin Chang. 
He asked me what I could do. I told 
him [I had learned in the prison to make 
iron-kettles. Well, Christian Pan, who 
had a house near the church, established 
a kettle shop named Pei Too Yang Pu— 
‘Working and Preaching Kettle Shop.’ 


Paut WANG 101 


‘‘T tried my best to work hard except 
Sundays. Every Sunday morning I at- 
tended the church, and every Sunday 
afternoon I went with a preacher to the 
villages to preach. There are more than 
five thousand people in the village in 
which I am living. 

‘‘Yesterday I went to Paoting-fu to 
buy some tools, but I could not buy them 
all. There were no such kind of tools, 
viz: steel file, a hoe, and a drawing rule. 
I am in need of these tools. I hope the 
head of the prison will buy these for me 
and send them by post. I will pay the 
amount of money by post. 

‘Once I read in the New Testament 
that Paul had the occupation of sewing 
tents, so I think it is all right for me to 
have the vocation of making kettles. I 
am afraid that no one will believe what 
I am preaching if I have no certain work 
to do. : 
‘*With my best wishes to all, 
“‘(Sgd.) Prisonpr Wane Suna YIna.’’ 


102 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


P. S.—Now I have changed my name 
from Wang Sung Ying to Wang Pao Lo 
—‘‘Paul Wang.’’ 


The writer was much interested in the 
letter from Mr. Wang, and later when 
visiting the prison, asked whether the 
tools had been sent and the money re- 
ceived, and an affirmative reply was 
given to each question. Some weeks 
later I visited Pao ting fu, and was very 
eager to have a personal interview with 
the policeman-prisoner preacher and to 
see his wheelbarrow. Word was sent to 
Kucheng, and that same day Mr. Wang 
came down with his wheelbarrow by 
railway train to Pao ting-fu. My mis- 
sionary host, Rev. A. M. Cunningham, 
kindly acted as interpreter during Mr. 
Wang’s visit. 

The appearance and bearing of Mr. 
Wang were a pleasant surprise. His 
face is kindly and intelligent, and his 
deportment that of a Christian gentle- 





A Chiukiang policeman with the 
Book of books. 





Hankow policemen with their Testaments. 





PauL WANG 103 


man. Mr. Wang explained that his stay 
at Kucheng was only a temporary ar- 
rangement. He told how he works on 
week-days and attends a Bible Class at 
the church at night. On Sundays he at- 
tends divine service in the morning and 
in the afternoon goes out to preach in 
the near-by villages. 

In speaking of his work of making tin 
kettles, Mr. Wang said: ‘‘The Kettle 
Shop is only temporary. I do not wish 
to lay up money, for I have given myself 
wholly to the Lord for service. I read 
in the Acts of the Apostles that Paul 
used his trade to support himself while 
preaching, so I propose to follow his 
example and make kettles for support, 
so I will not be dependent on others as 
I go from place to place. I hope to visit 
all the twenty-two provinces of China, 
completing the circuit in ten years.”’ 

When it was suggested to Mr. Wang 
that he might not live for ten years, he 
replied: ‘‘I have settled it with the Lord 


104 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


that if I live one day, I live that day for 
Him 

Mr. Wang lives the simple life. His 
daily food is millet, and he eats but two 
meals a day. At present he cooks his 
own meals. When travelling his daily 
expense for food and lodging reaches 
the large total of about seven cents a 
day, or possibly eight cents, if the Inn 
in which he spends the night is of a more 
aristocratic type. 

Soon after arriving in Pao ting-fu, 
Mr. Wang suggested that we should 
visit the prison and preach to the men. 
Mr. Cunningham kindly arranged the 
service. Mr. Wang gave a splendid talk 
to the prisoners, saying in part: ‘‘Fel- 
low-countrymen, be true. Serve your 
term as faithful men. Do not be over- 
much depressed at being in confinement. 
All men are sinners before God. He 
will give you a chance. Trust Him and 
quit yourselves like men. 


Paun WANG 105 


‘“When I was in jail, different ones, 
Buddhists and others, came to tell of 
their religious faiths and sacred books, 
but only the Bible is complete in that it 
offers an adequate redemption: a Sav- 
iour from sin; a new heart; and a 
Friend Who never fails those who trust 
Him here or hereafter. 

*““Read the Word. Trust it. It is 
God’s Word. It will never fail you. 
The peace of the Bible is altogether dif- 
ferent from the joys of intellect, feast- 
ing, attending plays, etc. It satisfies the 
craving of the human heart to be right 
with God.’’ | 

Shall we not pray for Mr. Wang as he 
tours China on his campaign of wheel- 
barrow evangelism? 


CHAPTER VIII 
HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 


N the midst of the darkness and 
chaos in China, there are rays of 
light that are harbingers of revival. 
The very turmoil of war and looting and 
brigandage is making the people seek 
for something that will give rest of soul 
and peace of mind in the midst of dis- 
tress and uncertainty. 

Professor James Peng, of Nanking 
Theological Seminary, was recently in- 
terpreting for me as I spoke to some 
hundreds of soldiers in the Y. M. C. A. 
at Nanking. As he saw how the Spirit 
of God seemed to be moving upon the 
hearts of the men, he said: 

‘<The attitude of the Chinese people 
toward Christianity is very different 


today from what it was five or six years 
106 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 107 


ago. Then the people wandered in and 
out of meetings utterly careless, and in- 
different. Today, however, all this is 
changed. They attend meetings in large 
numbers, and listen most attentively. 
Now is the time to work strenuously for 
the salvation of China!’’ 

When I asked the reason for the 
change in the attitude of the people to- 
ward the Gospel message, Professor 
Peng said: ‘‘It is chiefly due to the po- 
litical chaos. In the midst of the polit- 
ical turmoil and unrest the people want 
something stable, something that will 
give peace, and they are turning to the 
Gospel to seek for it.”’ 

Rev. William Taylor, a well-known 
missionary of the China Inland Mission, 
who has charge of their work through- 
out one of the provinces of China, said 
he too had noticed a new interest in the 
Gospel, especially during the last three 
years. And he gave the same reason, 
the political turmoil, as the cause of it. 


108 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


In speaking of the rising tide in China, 
Mr. P. L. Gillett, Secretary of the Y. M. 
C. A. in Nanking, said: ‘‘When I came 
to China ten years ago, after working 
for a good many years in Korea, the 
difference in the spiritual pulse of the 
people was most noticeable. It was al- 
most heartbreaking to see the listless- 
ness of most professing Christians here, 
after being in the midst of the first cen- 
tury fervor of the Koreans. But grad- 
ually the tide has been rising. Now not 
a few are getting the Korean passion 
for souls. Our work among the soldiers 
during the recent war was most encour- 
aging. I am convinced that a great 
spiritual awakening is coming to 
China.’’ 

From Shantung Province comes ti- 
dings of a real work of Grace. The 
awakening is in a village in a district 
under the direction of Rev. Charles H. 
Yerkes of Yi-hsien. He kindly gave me 
some facts about the movement. It is 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 109 


carried on almost exclusively by the 
Chinese with only occasional visits from 
foreigners. It sprang up in answer to 
prayer, and prayer is the chief feature 
of the revival. 

The human leader is a fairly well-to- 
do farmer in the district. He preaches 
but little, but devotes himself to prayer. 
He rises early and goes to the village 
church. At five o’clock he rings the 
church bell as a rising signal for those 
who wish to attend the general prayer 
meeting half an hour later. While wait- 
ing for the larger meeting, he and a few 
others intercede for God’s blessing and 
help. At five-thirty, about forty people 
assemble, and pray earnestly for an 
hour or so for the unsaved, for a gra- 
cious outpouring of God’s Spirit, and 
for whatever topics are presented. 

The next meeting of the day, during 
Mr. Yerkes’ recent visit to the village, 
was a special prayer meeting at twelve 
o’clock to ask God to prevent a threat- 


110 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


ened war in their district, and to protect 
them from being looted. Some ten thou- 
sand soldiers were within a few miles of 
them, and a battle was imminent. But 
prayer was answered. The war was 
averted and the village was unharmed. 

Still another prayer meeting is held at 
five o’clock in the afternoon. This is 
attended by about eighty people. The 
prayers are definite petitions for special 
objects brought before the gathering 
and offered by young and old with free- 
dom and fervor. 

The final service of the day is from 
six to seven o’clock. Those attending 
the prayer meeting remain for a unique 
and interesting closing hour. It is a 
Scripture repetition meeting. There is 
no leader, but one after another goes 
quietly to the front, repeats a verse or a 
paragraph, or perhaps half a chapter of 
Scripture, that they have learned that 
day, and then sits down. Everybody 
present takes part. First the men and 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL cE 


boys go forward, one by one, followed 
by the women and girls. A few people, 
who are too ignorant to learn a verse of 
Scripture, say a few words instead. 

The people say that Farmer Cheng, 
the moving spirit of the revival, spends 
about eight hours a day in prayer. This 
includes the various meetings in the 
church that he attends, and family 
prayers in his own home, and prayers at 
the two government schools, as both the 
teachers of these schools have been con- 
verted. 

But, Mr. Cheng is only one of those 
who are filled with the Spirit, and on fire 
for God. A girl in the church, not more 
than seventeen years of age, and quite 
illiterate, speaks and prays most flu- 
ently. She was engaged to a young man 
who was not a Christian, nor any of his 
family. For two years, she prayed for 
their salvation. Now the entire family 
have become inquirers and the girl is 
married. The mother-in-law has become 


112 Curna’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


a leader, and has had a number of vis- 
ions. In one of them she heard the most 
wonderful singing. 

While prayer is the mainspring of the 
awakening, the activities of the people 
are not confined to intercession. They 
go out in small bands to the neighboring 
villages witnessing and preaching. Re- 
cently, as a result of their prayers and 
evangelistic efforts, and of special meet- 
ings held by a missionary who came to 
see the work of Grace, over one hundred 
new inquirers were enrolled from eleven 
near-by villages. 

The very name of the place in which 
God is working so graciously, is curi- 
ously prophetic. It is ‘‘More Righteous 
Gully.’’ In days gone by, the village 
was anything but righteous. It was the 
home of a man who some years since, 
robbed a consignment of silver nuggets 
that was being transported by a govern- 
ment official. Later he was caught and 
killed and two of his family were cruci- 


pene 


7 * 








Peking students holding up the Word of God, 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 113 


fied on the walls of the town. The name 
of the village is probably at least 700 
years old, and at last it has become in 
truth the ‘‘More Righteous Gully.’’ 

Another significant sign of spiritual 
awakening in China is the formation of 
hundreds of Prayer Circles to intercede 
for the unsaved, and for an outpouring 
of God’s Spirit. In Peking, in one mis- 
sion, 120 of these Praying Bands were 
started about six months ago. It was 
recently reported that practically all are 
still going on, and that much blessing 
and spiritual quickening has _ been 
brought to pass through them. 

In Nanking there are over 1,000 mem- 
bers of these Prayer Bands. The Bands 
are very small, having a membership 
usually of four or five or six including 
the leader. They meet in homes and 
schools and churches. A missionary re- 
cently told me that his church in Nan- 
king has never been in such a flourishing 
condition as since the formation of the 

8 


114 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Prayer Circles, and that the Chinese 
pastor had never preached with such 
power. 

The great majority of the Prayer Cir- 
cles in Nanking are in connection with 
schools, and meet daily for a brief 
period of intercession and Scripture 
reading or repetition. It was my privi- 
lege recently to attend a rally of over 
5900 leaders and members of these Pray- 
ing Bands. Reports were given of how 
prayer had been answered for the salva- 
tion of souls, for the healing of the sick, 
and for protection in war. A young 
man in the Middle School of Nanking 
University said their prayers were an- 
swered in two ways: first, they prayed 
for the safety of Nanking several weeks 
ago when times were very dangerous; 
second, they prayed for twenty students, 
and these twenty students had all be- 
come Christians. 

Another, a young man from one of the 
Middle Schools said they had organized 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 115 


prayer groups among the government 
school students as well as among their 
own students, and have organized Vol- 
unteer Bands. They had been praying 
for their country and for the safety of 
Nanking; and their prayers had been 
answered. 

Still another token of the rising tide 
of spiritual interest in China is seen in 
the eagerness of the people for the Word 
of God. All three of the Bible Societies 
working China report record circula- 
tions of Scriptures for the past year. 
It is peculiarly providential that just at 
this time of rising spiritual interest a 
movement has been inaugurated, to dis- 
tribute a million copies of the New 
Testament in China. The chief method 
of the campaign is to reach the unsaved 
with the Word of God, especially stu- 
dents, soldiers, policemen, prisoners, 
railway and postal employees, govern- 
ment officials and employees, farmers, 


116 CHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


merchants, and other largely unreached 
classes. 

The plan is not an indiscriminate dis- 
tribution, but a wise presentation of the 
Word, preceded by a great volume of 
prayer, and accompanied by careful per- 
sonal dealing with the unsaved, and with 
an appeal to accept Christ as a personal 
Saviour. Furthermore, the Books are 
only to be given to those agreeing to 
read and carry them. 

It is probable that never before in the 
history of mission work in China has 
there been such an opportunity as is pre- 
sented today for praying and working 
for the salvation of this great and needy 
land. And never before has there been 
such a providential moment for a nation- 
wide distribution of the Word of God. 
More of the people can read today than 
ever before. They appreciate the 
printed page perhaps more than any 
other nation. Millions of boys and girls 
are now in the government schools and 


HARBINGERS OF REVIVAL 117 


their joy at receiving a copy of the New 
Testament is almost unbounded. 

God grant that everyone who reads 
these lines may pray HARNESTLY and 
DAILY for a great spiritual awakening 
in China; for an outpouring of God’s 
Spirit upon the missionaries and pas- 
tors and Christians; and for the spread- 
ing of a million New Testaments 
throughout the length and breadth of the 
land. 

Every revival in the history of the 
church has come in answer to prayer, 
and let us pray with ever increasing 
faith and fervor that a great spiritual 
awakening may speedily come to China. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE TAIPING OFFICER’S 
TESTAMENT 


T may not be generally known that 
| seventy or eighty years ago there 

was a distribution of a million Tes- 
taments in China. It occurred at the 
time that the Taiping rebellion and the 
opening of the treaty ports in China had 
turned the world’s attention to this 
country to an unusual degree. The plan 
was financed chiefly in England, with 
contributions from America and other 
lands. 

Last summer [I was told at Peitaiho 
the story of JUST ONE of those million 
Testaments. The incident was related 
to me by the Rev. George Andrews of 
the China Inland Mission, but it was told 


to him years before by the Rev. J. Hud- 
118 








A Chinese pocket Testament. It is pro- 
posed to distribute a million of 
these in China. 





Chinese leper boys who gladly agreed to read and 
carry the Word of God. 


Se ‘ 
7%, Lee 


a pate <® a es a ae ra 





THe TAPING OFrFiIcer’s TESTAMENT 119 


son Taylor, the founder of the China In- 
land Mission. Here is the story: 

‘‘During the Taiping rebellion a mili- 
tary officer was passing through Shang- 
hai. Being detained there several days 
he explored the Settlement. God led 
him by the door of the London Mission 
street chapel, where a missionary was 
preaching. 

‘<The officer went into the chapel and 
listened until the address was ended. 
Then the missionary said, ‘Many wor- 
shippers of God in various lands have 
donated money to print copies of our 
sacred classic, the New Testament, in 
Chinese, and to distribute them as free 
gifts. Now I have some here at my side, 
and if any hearer would like one, all he 
has to do is to come to the platform and 
I will give him one.’ Many pressed for- 
ward, including this officer, who received 
a copy and departed. 

‘‘Years passed. The rebellion was 
suppressed and law and order was re- 


120 CuInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


stored. A missionary of the American 
Baptist Church was preaching to a large 
company of people in a street chapel. 
At that time there was a severe drought 
in the Shanghai area. The missionary 
spoke of the drought and said, ‘You 
have been praying to your idols to send 
the rain. It has not come. The idols 
cannot send it. Only God can do this. 
Why do you not pray to Him?’ 

‘“At the close of the address a gentle- 
man approached the missionary and 
said, ‘Why do you not ask God to send 
rain?’ 

‘‘Thinking that the man had come to 
argue, he replied, ‘Why do you not ask 
Him?’ 

‘‘The stranger replied, ‘I do. Every 
day I ask the Heavenly Father to send 
the rain.’ 

** ‘Ts that so?’ said the missionary. 
‘Come into the vestry and tell me about 
it.? They sat down and as the officer 
told his story he proved to be the one 


THe Tarmne OFFIcER’s TESTAMENT 121 


who had received the Testament in an- 
other street chapel years previous. He 
had taken the Testament home, studied 
it carefully, and he and his family had 
become Christians. 

‘‘When the missionary asked if the 
officer had been baptized, he replied in 
the affirmative. 

‘¢ “Who baptized you?’ asked the mis- 
sionary. 

‘¢ «The Heavenly Father,’ replied the 
officer. 

‘¢<«The Heavenly Father?’ What do 
you mean? 

‘¢ Well, as I read the New Testament 
I found that those who believed in Jesus 
must be baptized. I did not understand 
it. One day I met some Roman Catho- 
lics and asked them about it. They said, 
‘‘Yes, you go to the priest and he sprin- 
kles water on your forehead, and that is 
baptism.’’ But I could not find any- 
where in the Book that I must go to the 
priest to be baptized. 


122 CuInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


‘<¢T was puzzled and I did not know 
what to do. One day I was sitting in my 
home. The rain began to fall. I 
thought, Now is the time for my bap- 
tism. I went out into the courtyard, and 
raising my forehead to the sky so that 
the rain drops fell upon it, I said, ‘‘O 
God, in the name of the Father, the Son 
and the Holy Spirit, I accept Thy bap- 
tism.’’ So the Father baptized me.’ 

‘<The officer invited the missionary to 
visit him at his home on one of the is- 
lands of the Tai-hu (Great Lake). The 
missionary consented, and some weeks 
later set out with a friend to find the 
place. After reaching the island they 
went along the main road. They met a 
man and asked where so and so lived. 
‘Oh, you mean the man who worships 
God,’ was the reply. Going along a lit- 
tle further they met another man. Again 
they asked where so and so lived. ‘Oh, 
you mean the man who worships God,’ 
was again the reply. 


THe TAPING OFFICER’S TESTAMENT 123 


‘* At length they reached the place and 
found a lovely Christian home. The 
house was free from idolatry, and the 
walls of the guest-room were hung with 
Christian scrolls. The entire household 
were worshippers of the true God. And 
it all came about through the reading of 
one New Testament.’’ 

Such was the result of JUST ONE of 
the million Testaments. Mr. Andrews 
said that the episode greatly cheered the 
heart of Dr. Taylor, and led him to de- 
termine to be more zealous than ever in 
distributing the Word of God. 

That was what the Word did in China 
seventy years ago. Now let me give an 
illustration of its power in China today. 
A year ago I visited two big model 
prisons in Peking. The authorities, 
though not Christians themselves, ex- 
tended every courtesy. They gave per- 
mission to address the men and distrib- 
ute pocket Testaments. 


124 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Several talks were given to the men 
and eight hundred Testaments were pre- 
sented to those who agreed to carry 
them, and to read at least one chapter 
daily. The work in the Second Model 
Prison especially was splendidly fol- 
lowed up by Mr. Goa of the Educational 
Department, who had formerly been an 
officer in General Feng’s army. 

The results that followed were noth- 
ing short of amazing. Within six 
months more than a hundred of the men 
from the two prisons, who had received 
the Testaments, were released before 
their terms expired, because of good 
conduct. 

But the fruitage of changed lives was 
by no means confined to those whose 
terms had been shortened. It was my 
privilege to visit both the prisons again 
about six months after the Testaments 
were first distributed. At once I was 
struck with the brighter appearance of 
the men who had become Christians. I 


Toe Tarine Orricer’s TESTAMENT 125 


asked for volunteers to stand up before 
the other men and tell of any blessing 
they had received through the Testa- 
ments. The response was as ready as if 
it had been a Salvation Army or a 
Rescue Mission meeting in the home- 
lands. One man said: 

‘‘T have read to Hebrews. Before I 
received the Book my heart was very 
wicked. Now my heart is full of peace 
and I am very happy.”’ 

Another man said, ‘‘I never heard of 
Christianity before I came to the prison, 
but since I received the Testament I 
have believed in Jesus Christ, and my 
heart is now full of peace.’’ 

Another testified, ‘‘Before I received 
the Testament I was always sick and full 
of trouble. But after I read the Testa- 
ment my sickness melted away, and my 
heart is filled with peace and I am al- 
ways happy.’’ 

The convicting power of the Word 
was clearly revealed in the testimony of 


126 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


quite a young man. He arose and spoke 
with great earnestness, saying in sub- 
stance: ‘‘When I came to the prison I 
thought that I had never done anything 
wrong in my life. But after reading the 
Testament I realized that I had done 
many wicked things. Now I have found 
peace and I am always very happy.”’ 
Nearly a year later another visit was 
paid to the Second Model Prison. At 
the close of the address an intelligent- 
faced prisoner stood up and said: ‘‘Be- 
fore I came to the prison I was a bad 
man. Since receiving the Testament, I 
have read it every day and have carried 
it every day. I have accepted Christ as 
my Saviour and my heart is full of peace 
and joy. Then a look of sadness came 
over his face as he said: ‘‘My family 
are not good people. When my father 
and mother and brother come to visit me 
I exhort them to receive the doctrine, 
and now they have begun to believe.’’ 


Tue Taiping OFFICER’S TESTAMENT 127 


The man spoke with such earnestness 
and sincerity that we looked up his rec- 
ord to ascertain the cause of his im- 
prisonment. He had been committed to 
prison on the charge of murder. The 
prisoner kindly gave me the little Testa- 
ment he had read and carried, in ex- 
change for anew one. In the Testament 
was a slip of paper on which was writ- 
ten a meditation expressing his new- 
found joy and peace in Christ. It read 
as follows: ‘‘Although I am poor, I am 
glad to learn the doctrine of Christ, and 
my heart rejoices. My heart is sorely 
troubled when I think how the Lord suf- 
fered on the Cross for me. 

‘<The Lord gives me peace! The Lord 
gives me peace! The peace which the 
Lord gives me is altogether different 
from the happiness which the world 
gives; and men cannot take it away. 
Peace is in heaven!’’ 


CHAPTER X 
GOD’S WORD FOR CHINA 


MISSIONARY paced up and down 
in my room in Shanghai, telling 
of the triumphs of the Gospel in 

China, as he had seen them during many 
years of valiant service. At length he 
exclaimed, with all the pent-up fervor 
of his soul: ‘‘The Bible is the only hope 
of China.’’ 

This recalls the story of the Indian 
Prince who visited Queen Victoria and 
said ‘‘Great Queen, What is the secret 
of Britain’s greatness?’’ Going over to 
a table and raising aloft a copy of God’s 
Word, the gracious Queen replied: 
‘““That Book is the secret of Britain’s 
greatness.’’ 

It was the Bible in the hands of the 


Pilgrim Fathers and other early settlers 
128 


Gop’s Worp For CHINA 129 


that laid the foundation of America’s 
greatness, and it is the Bible that has 
been responsible for any later real 
greatness that she has achieved. 

And shall we fail to give to China the 
Book that has made Great Britain and 
America the two foremost nations of the 
modern world? 

In these days of war and brigandage, 
of famine and flood, and of general un- 
rest and upheaval in China, the hearts 
of the people are puzzled and perplexed. 
They are reaching out feeble hands from 
wistful souls, if haply they may find 
something that will give peace and sta- 
bility in the midst of chaos and discord. 
Is it not a challenge to Christendom to 
place the Word of God in their hands 
and say, ‘‘This is the Way, Walk ye in 
ey 

The people are hungry for knowledge. 
With many it amounts to a passion. 
Students will make almost any sacrifice 
to continue their studies. More of the 

9 


130 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


lower classes can read than ever before. 
One is often surprised to find how 
ricksha-men and coolies to whom a tract 
is handed will at once begin to read it 
aloud. 

The delight and gratitude of the peo- 
ple at receiving a neat cloth-bound copy 
of the New Testament is almost un- 
bounded. A student to whom I gave a 
New Testament on a railway train wrote 
me letter after letter, telling me how he 
was reading the Book, and going to 
church, and asking when I was coming 
to his city. 

The conductor of the train was also 
presented with a Testament. He in- 
sisted that I ride first-class instead of 
second. The carriage was crowded. I 
left my seat to go through the train dis- 
tributing Scripture leaflets. When I re- 
turned a military officer had settled 
himself in my place. The conductor 
promptly bounced him out of the seat to 
which he was doubtless entitled, and I 


Gop's Worp ror CHINA 131 


was not! He wanted to show his appre- 
ciation of the gift. 

Now it is proposed, in codperation 
with the Bible Societies and mission- 
aries, to distribute once more a million 
copies of the New Testament throughout 
the land in an effort to reach the people 
quickly with the Word of God. 

The three Bible Societies—The Amer- 
ican, British and Foreign, and National 
Bible Society of Scotland, are proposing 
to publish the Books and to distribute 
them in closest harmony and codpera- 
tion with the missionaries. The method 
of distribution will not be an indiscrimi- 
nate circulation, but a wise and cautious 
presentation of the Testaments by con- 
secrated missionaries and Chinese 
Christians, accompanied by a great vol- 
ume of believing prayer that God will 
water the Word as it goes into the 
pockets and hearts of the recipients. 

Hundreds of prayer circles have al- 
ready been formed to pray for days or 


132 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


weeks for the unsaved; then to give the 
Testaments only to those agreeing to 
read and carry them, and to make the 
gift of the Book the occasion for a lov- 
ing tender appeal to accept Christ as a 
personal Saviour. 

It is estimated that there are fully 
100,000 prisoners in China. Is it worth 
while to give them the Word? ‘‘I was 
in prison and ye came unto me.’’ 

It is stated that China has the largest 
standing army in the world: more than 
1,000,000 men under arms. Think what 
the gift of pocket Testaments would 
mean in the lives of multitudes of these 
soldiers! 

God grant that the Word may speedily 
be given to tens of thousands of students 
that are standing at the crossways— 
many of them turning against Chris- 
tianity—who will largely mould the fu- 
ture of the nation. 

And shall we fail to give the Word of 
God to the Government and railway and 


Gop’s Worp ror CHINA 133 


postal: officials and employees, and the 
myriads of coolies and farmers and serv- 
ants in this great land? And shall we 
neglect the orphans and lepers and those 
on beds of sickness in hospitals? ‘‘I 
was sick and ye visited me.”’ 

It is estimated that there are about 
six million boys and girls in the schools 
of China. A ten-year-old girl heard the 
Bible stories, and believed in Christ. 
She was the lowest in her class at school. 
She rose at six o’clock in the morning to 
ask the Holy Spirit to help her to study. 
At school she even knelt in the aisle to 
pray and did not mind when the other 
children laughed. The result was she 
went to the head of the class. She began 
to tell the Good News to others. In re- 
sponse to her efforts, her mother and 
grandmother, and her chum’s mother 
and grandmother became believers, and 
she led four of her girl friends to Christ. 
Is it worth while to give God’s Word to 
the school children in China? 


134 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


Just before leaving China, a lady who 
is doing Christian work in that land, but 
who is not under a Missionary Society, 
handed me a beautiful jade ring and 
necklace. She said: ‘‘I am expecting to 
return to the homeland in a short time. 
I have been purchasing various things in 
China to help in my support after my 
return home. I have determined, how- 
ever, to depend entirely upon the Lord, 
and wish to give you the ring and neck- 
lace to help in providing Testaments for 
China.’’ 

In America also help has come from 
unexpected quarters in giving the Word 
to China. A minister who is in poor 
health and without a church, insisted on 
giving more than $200.00 for the work. 
A Chinese young man in a Sunday 
School gave $5.00 to help provide the 
Word of God for his fellow-countrymen. 

It is estimated that the total expense 
of the campaign—including printing the 
Testaments and distributing them—will 


Gop’s Worp For CHINA 135 


be about $150,000.00 or fifteen cents a 
copy. A simple method has been sug- 
gested by which Christians everywhere 
may have a definite and continuous 
share in this nation-wide campaign. The 
plan is to enlist God’s children in the 
homelands to give! ‘‘A Testament a 
day; and a prayer a day, to help save 
China in this time of crisis and of un- 
paralelled opportunity.’’ 

To provide one Testament a day for 
the people of China will mean only $4.50 
a month. Surely many of those who 
read these lines will be glad to share in 
this practical manner in this nation-wide 
campaign of evangelism and free distri- 
bution of the Word of God. 

Our words may amount to little, but 
we know that God’s Word will never fail 
to produce marvelous and miraculous 
fruitage. Let me close with Isaiah’s 
paean of praise regarding the trans- 
forming and transfiguring effect of the 
Word of God: ‘‘For as the rain cometh 


136 CuHInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY 


down, and the snow from heaven, and 
returneth not thither, but watereth the 
earth, and maketh it bring forth and 
bud, that it may give seed to the sower, 
and bread to the eater: so shall My 
Word be that goeth forth out of My 
mouth: it shall not return unto me void, 
but it shall accomplish that which I 
please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out 
with joy, and be led forth with peace; 
the mountains and the hills shall break 
forth before you into singing, and all 
the trees of the field shall clap their 
hands. Instead of the thorn shall come 
up the fir tree, and instead of the brier 
shall come up the myrtle tree: and it 
shall be to the Lord for a name, for an 
everlasting sign that shall not be cut 
off.’? Isaiah 55: 10-13. 


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